With 4 video games remaining, the Jets discover themselves in a quarterback conundrum.
Starter Tyrod Taylor injured his groin throughout the first quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Dolphins.
Justin Fields, who was backing up Taylor following his benching final month, can also be coping with some knee soreness and was inactive in opposition to Miami. Due to that, undrafted free agent Brady Prepare dinner, who was elevated from the observe squad, could also be in line to begin Sunday’s sport in opposition to the Jaguars.
Nonetheless, Jets coach Aaron Glenn didn’t present any clarification on the state of affairs when pressed throughout Monday’s press convention.
“That’s the tough part about this job,” Glenn mentioned. “This job is supposed for robust individuals and you need to make choices on the fly from time to time and that is simply a type of instances we’ve got to decide. We gotta see how the blokes are feeling, have an excellent dialog with these guys, have an excellent dialog with the docs.
“No one said it was gonna be easy. Even as an assistant coach, I haven’t seen a situation like this. But it is what it is. I have full confidence in our guys and if they say they’re ready to go, they’ll be ready to go.”
Taylor made his third begin of the season in opposition to the Dolphins. However he performed solely two sequence earlier than leaving the sport after injuring his groin following a first-quarter interception to Tyrel Dodson. That pressured Prepare dinner into the sport, with Miami already main 21-0.
Prepare dinner completed the sport, finishing 14-of-30 passes for 163 yards with two interceptions and was sacked six instances in his first NFL motion. He very a lot seemed like a rookie undrafted free-agent QB after lacking a number of throws and even having bother taking snaps below middle.
It additionally didn’t assist Prepare dinner that his receivers dropped six passes.
“Once he kind of settled down, he came in and was poised,” Jets guard John Simpson mentioned about Prepare dinner. “He sort of demanded the eye of the huddle. He was prepared for the second, for my part.
“Obviously, we have things to improve on as an offense. But overall, I feel like the way he came in, and I feel like his confidence in the huddle, you could definitely see it for sure.”
Sunday marked the third time Prepare dinner was elevated from the observe squad this season after he was the backup in video games in opposition to the Bucs and Bengals. Observe squad gamers could be elevated a most of 3 times per season. A fourth elevation would require Prepare dinner to be signed to the 53-man roster.
However that can depend upon the standing of Fields, who has not performed because the Jets’ Nov. 13 loss to the Patriots. In that sport, Fields completed 15-of-26 for 116 yards with one landing go.
However the Jets have the worst passing offense within the NFL (146.5) and plenty of that’s due to Fields’ struggles as a passer. He ranks twenty ninth out of 31 passers in QBR (38.2).
When requested if he would return to Fields after benching him, Glenn advised reporters that he’ll play the man who offers the Jets one of the best likelihood to win.
“Listen, these guys are all professionals and anytime they have a chance to go out and perform with their teammates, that’s the only thing they think about,” Glenn mentioned. “That’s the one factor I take into consideration, what choice do I’ve to make to offer this staff one of the best likelihood to win.
“We don’t play mind games with players like that. You know, these guys are professionals, and they work their asses off week in and week out. My job is to make sure that with this team, I give them the best chance to win. Whichever quarterback we have that’s ready to go, that guy will be ready to go.”
Whoever the quarterback is in opposition to Jacksonville, assist might doubtlessly be on the way in which. Vast receiver Garrett Wilson is eligible to return off injured reserve this week. He was positioned on IR on Nov. 13 after injuring his proper knee in a win in opposition to the Browns 4 days earlier.
Nonetheless, contemplating the Jets are 3-10 and have been eradicated from postseason rivalry for the fifteenth straight yr, there may not be any incentive to carry Wilson again with 4 video games remaining, contemplating he has injured his knee twice this season.
However Glenn says he’ll communicate with the medical doctors and Wilson earlier than making a choice.
