New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn is sticking with Justin Fields as his QB1.
NFL Insider Connor Hughes of SNY warned that it could cost him the locker room.
“The Jets aren’t benching Justin Fields. That’s fine. They don’t have to. They committed to him financially. Spent the offseason hoisting him up as their guy. They’ve (allegedly) constructed an entire offense around his strengths. So, if they’re not willing to give up on him yet, don’t. Again: Fine,” Hughes said.
“But if there is even the slightest hint of carryover from this despicable 13-11 loss to the Broncos seven days from now when the Jets take on the Panthers? Aaron Glenn better go to Tyrod Taylor as early as the second quarter. Don’t, and that’s a surefire way to lose the room,” Hughes cautioned.
Insider Shares Concerning Intel From the Locker Room
The Jets have two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster: Fields and Taylor.
“There are truths in the NFL. Among them: You can’t fool players. They see practice – every day. They know who can play and who can’t. Players do not want to lose. They put their bodies on the line each week trusting in their coaches to put them in the best position to win. A death knell for a staff is when his team begins to question if that’s happening,” Hughes explained.
“Several within the locker room have told SNY, at varying points beginning in training camp, that they believe Taylor is their best quarterback … Glenn cannot continue to blindly trust Fields if a growing portion of the locker room doesn’t believe he gives them the best chance to win,” Hughes added.
Fields has started four games this season, and Taylor has filled in once due to injury.
When you look at the overall statistics, they don’t appear bad for Fields. He hasn’t thrown an interception this season, he has scored seven total touchdowns, and he has a 65% completion percentage.
However, his processing speed has come into question.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini explained that Fields “was pressured on 16 of 29 dropbacks. On the 16 pressure plays, he ATTEMPED only 4 passes (completed one for -1). This shows a QB who’s not pulling the trigger. Is he being coached to eat the ball and not risk INTs? I don’t know the answer to that. Fields has yet to throw an INT, but what good is that if you can’t score?”
The Problem Is the Jets Don’t Have Any Answers
Gang Green is stuck between a rock and a hard place.
If not Fields, the only other lever to pull is 36-year-old Tyrod Taylor. He is in the final year of his contract with the Jets. We know what he is at this point.
At 0-6, the Jets have their wheels spinning, and they aren’t going in any particular direction. This offseason, the Jets chose Fields to be their QB1, crowned him as such, and rode into battle with him.
The season is already lost at 0-6, you might as well keep riding Fields as the top QB. Then in the offseason, you can make whatever changes you deem necessary.
The harsh reality is that Taylor wouldn’t save this season, the Jets made their bed, and now they must lie in it.
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