Tyrod Taylor Proving Jets Right For Benching Justin Fields

The Jets seemingly made the right decision by benching Justin Fields this year...

Nov 30, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets quarterback Tyrod Taylor (2) reacts after a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons during the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The New York Jets came into the season with a huge question mark at quarterback. They opted to cut ties with Aaron Rodgers in favor of Justin Fields during the previous offseason and the decision hasn't aged gracefully.

Fields struggled during the first half of the season. The Jets offense couldn't get off the ground with Fields under center, and it never seemed like the coaching staff trusted him to throw the ball.

New York would eventually bench Fields in favor of veteran backup Tyrod Taylor. Taylor has been decent for the Jets, but he's certainly not their quarterback of the future because of his age. Still, Taylor gives the Jets a much better chance to win, as seen by his performance in the Jets' Week 13 upset win over the Atlanta Falcons.

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Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski recently graded Taylor's Week 13 performance as a B, which should further prove the Jets were correct in benching Fields for the veteran signal caller.

Tyrod Taylor put together a solid showing in Week 13

Nov 30, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets quarterback Tyrod Taylor (2) drops back to pass against the Atlanta Falcons during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

"The best thing that can be said about Tyrod Taylor's performance against the Falcons—beyond the Jets coming away with a last-second victory—is that the veteran quarterback unlocked wide receiver Adonai Mitchell," Sobleski wrote. "Taylor and Mitchell connected eight times for 102 yards, including a 52-yard touchdown.

"Mitchell was generally viewed as a throw-in during the Sauce Gardner trade. But the Jets think he has the potential to be a future building block. By Taylor regularly targeting the second-year wide receiver, he's helping organization grow toward the future."

The Jets were practically forced to bench Fields after multiple bad weeks in a row.

Taylor is the much better quarterback right now, but he doesn't have the ceiling of being a future starter like Fields might have. Given how poorly Fields has played, it's clear the Jets don't have a spot on the roster for him in the future.

Taylor is proving the Jets to be correct in their decision to give him the starting job. He's not a superstar, but if he can continue to stack performances like his Week 13 performance, the Jets could sneak another win or two before the year is over.

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