The New York Jets made a big decision ahead of their Week 12 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. After spending the majority of the season with Justin Fields as the starting quarterback, Aaron Glenn made a change.
Fields is hitting the bench, and Tyrod Taylor is coming in to be the starting quarterback, likely for the rest of the season. While his on-field struggles are a clear reason why, there's a bit more to his benching than meets the eye.
According to ESPN insider Dan Graziano, the Jets didn't just bench Fields due to his poor play, but so they could better evaluate their young skill players.
The Jets benched Justin Fields not only for poor play, but to evaluate young non-QB talent
"The Jets' reason for moving from Justin Fields to Tyrod Taylor has a lot to do with their desire to evaluate the young non-quarterbacks on their roster," Graziano writes, "especially tight end Mason Taylor and recently acquired wide receivers John Metchie III and Adonai Mitchell."
At 2-8, the Jets' 2025 season is all but over. Sticking with Fields wouldn't allow for a proper evaluation of their young talent.
Fields struggles to get the ball to his receivers, as he's thrown for less than 55 yards in three of his last five games. He also scrambles often, something that doesn't help the Jets evaluate their young cast of receivers.
Mason Taylor, Adonai Mitchell, and John Metchie III could be core pieces of this Jets offense in 2026 and beyond. But if the Jets kept playing Fields, then they wouldn't be able to get a full grasp of how they can impact the team in the future.
More: Jets to make huge Justin Fields benching decision for Week 12 vs. Ravens
With Taylor at quarterback, he's shown much better promise in getting the ball to his receivers. In his lone start, Taylor went 26 for 36 for 197 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.
He should be able to get the ball to this trio of receivers down the stretch, as he's much more accurate than Fields. Add on his ability to better avoid sacks, and still scramble when needed, this change was a long time coming.
The $40 million Fields experiment failed, but the Jets can still get something out of this season by benching him for Taylor.
If Taylor, Metchie, or Mitchell show promise in the second half of 2025, then they could feel more comfortable with the receivers for whichever new quarterback joins the roster in the next two years.
More Jets News: