The New York Jets were projected to only keep two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster.
Those spots were supposed to belong to Justin Fields and Tyrod Taylor. However, Taylor underwent a “minor scope” knee surgery and is out for the preseason. That opens a door for Adrian Martinez to steal a potential gig.
It’s unclear if Taylor will be ready for the Week 1 season opener versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. If he isn’t, then the Jets will have to roster a third quarterback to fill in at least temporarily, if not longer.
On Saturday, August 16, the Jets will travel to MetLife Stadium to battle the New York Giants.
“QB Adrian Martinez could get the bulk of the snaps for the Jets. Backup QB Tyrod Taylor recently had a minor arthroscopic procedure on his knee, and the Jets are hopeful their backup is ready for Week 1. Rookie Brady Cook didn’t take team reps [on] Wednesday after having his ankle stepped on during Tuesday’s session. Cook, though, is expected to play,” Jets senior reporter Eric Allen shared.
Martinez Looked Really Good During Jets Preseason Opener
The former Nebraska and Kansas State product received all of the reps in the second half for the Jets versus the Green Bay Packers.
He finished 11-of-16 (69% completion percentage), threw for 152 passing yards, averaged 9.5 passing yards per attempt, threw one touchdown with no interceptions, and registered a 119.8 quarterback rating, per ESPN.
Martinez also contributed two rushing attempts for 13 yards on the ground.
The Jets won the game 30-10 over Green Bay.
Martinez, 25, is in the midst of his third season at the NFL level.
Injury Opens up the Door of Opportunity
You never want to root for injury. In this violent game of football, it just naturally happens.
Taylor goes under the knife for knee surgery. Undrafted free agent Brady Cook gets accidentally stepped on during a joint practice. They come in all shapes and sizes.
One man’s misfortune is another man’s opportunity.
Cook was ahead of Martinez during training camp. After Fields wrapped up his one series in the preseason opener, the Jets turned to Cook next, not Martinez.
However, this new injury opens up that QB3 battle. Also, Taylor’s issues open up the QB2 conversation.
Martinez Better Protect the Neck
Ahead of the Jets-Giants preseason game, the Jets worked out two veteran quarterbacks.
That could simply be due diligence, or it could be a warning. If Martinez struggles against the Giants, the Jets could move quickly to add one of Nathan Peterman or C.J. Beathard to add insurance to the room.
If Martinez performs well, the Jets won’t have to break the glass and add another arm to the bullpen. In other words, the pressure is on for Martinez.
Martinez Fits the Jets’ Dating Profile at the QB Position
Let’s just call a spade a spade.
Head coach Aaron Glenn has a type: dual-threat quarterbacks.
There is nothing wrong with that, but it’s worth mentioning out loud. Typically, you want your backup quarterback to be similar stylistically to your starter so you don’t have to dramatically change the offense if an injury occurs.
Martinez can throw and run the ball.
During his five-year collegiate career, Martinez collected 9,752 passing yards, had a 51 touchdown to 31 interception ratio, and completed 63.6% of his passes.
Martinez’s best work came on the ground. He totaled 2,928 rushing yards, 45 rushing touchdowns, and averaged 4.7 yards per clip.
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