The New York Jets take a road trip to face the Cincinnati Bengals for one final game before their Week 9 bye. It’s a tricky matchup in Week 8, as the Bengals, led by a 40-year-old Joe Flacco, have found new life.
While the Bengals quarterback room has taken a step in the right direction, the Jets are a lot more uncertain. All week, Aaron Glenn has refused to name a starting quarterback, leaving the decision between Justin Fields and Tyrod Taylor up in the air.
But according to Brian Costello of The New York Post, the Jets are forced to start Fields for one more week, as Taylor was ruled out ahead of the Week 8 matchup.
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Jets to start Justin Fields after Tyrod Taylor is ruled out for Week 8 vs. Bengals
“Tyrod Taylor has been ruled out of Sunday’s Jets game with a knee injury, according to a source,” Costello reports. “He is not traveling to Cincinnati. Justin Fields will start at QB vs. Bengals.”
This move comes after a week full of signs pointing towards Taylor being the starter. Early in the week at the NFL owners meeting, Woody Johnson revealed his stance on Fields, clearly stating how any team would struggle to win with “that quarterback.”
It was a brutal comment for an owner to make about his starting quarterback, and now, despite the speculation that Taylor would be the starter, Fields is back in the lineup for the Jets in Week 8.
It’s a bit of an awkward situation, as Fields was benched in Week 7 during a porous performance against the Carolina Panthers, and there was plenty of speculation that Taylor would be the starter. But now, the Jets are forced to stick with Fields as Taylor isn’t able to suit up for New York in Week 8 as he deals with a knee injury.
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Fields is coming off a rough week with the Jets, as he completed six of his 12 passes for only 46 yards and no touchdowns. That performance came one week after he managed -10 net passing yards against the Denver Broncos in London.
Between one of the worst passing performances in the last few years, a mid-game benching for 36-year-old Tyrod Taylor and the owner’s public bashing, Fields getting the starting nod is an interesting outcome for the Jets.
But with a matchup against a leaky Bengals defense, Fields could get back in the good graces of the organization with a strong performance. He’s being paid $30 million guaranteed, so the Jets getting something positive from him heading into the Week 9 bye would not just be huge for the Jets, but also for Fields’ confidence.
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