The New York Jets are cutting ties with former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Adrian Martinez, according to the team website and the New York Post’s Brian Costello.
Martinez served as the backup quarterback behind Brady Cook last week when New York took on the Jacksonville Jaguars, only because veterans Tyrod Taylor and Justin Fields weren’t healthy enough to play.
After another short stint on the Jets’ practice squad, Martinez is free to join whichever team he can find a spot on.
As for New York, the release likely signals a return for either Taylor or Fields, and the end of the short-lived Cook era.
Will Tyrod Taylor or Justin Fields Start vs. Saints?
With the New York Jets likely to get one or both of Taylor or Fields back, one of the veterans should be expected to start Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.
Fields has not started since Week 11 vs. the New England Patriots, and in recent weeks has been dealing with a knee injury that has prevented him from being active on gamedays.
Undrafted free agent rookie quarterback Cook had been serving as the backup.
If Taylor is healthy, the starting gig likely reverts back to him.
The 35-year-old veteran has been productive compared to New York’s other trigger men the last few weeks, serving as the Jets’ starting quarterback.
But an early groin injury suffered against the Miami Dolphins in Week 14 cost him the last two games.
In six appearances this season, Taylor has completed 59.7% of his passes for 779 yards, five touchdowns, and five interceptions.
Fields, on the other hand, has thrown for 1,259 yards in nine starts, completing 62.7% of his passes and tossing seven touchdowns to one interception.
The former first-round pick’s stats look better on paper, but if you’ve watched the Jets at all this season, you would know how much cleaner the offense operates under Taylor’s guidance.
New York has yet to put out an injury report as of December 16, and once that information hits the public, we’ll have a better idea as to who will be under center when the Jets take on the Saints in New Orleans.
The End of the Brady Cook Era?
In the injured veteran’s stead, UDFA Brady Cook had been doing his best to hold down the New York Jets proverbial fort the last two weeks to his best ability.
It was a tough task for Cook to come off the bench cold in Week 14 against the Miami Dolphins, and he did his best to move the ball for the Jets offense.
But his lack of practice reps showed, and the former Missouri quarterback only completed 14 of 30 pass attempts for 163 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions.
With a week of first-team reps, Cook performed better against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 15, but still struggled, completing 66.7% of his passes for 176 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions in the blowout loss.
Cook did show some signs of life in his first tastes of NFL action, and while he likely won’t be starting on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, he may have done enough to prove he should be on the Jets roster in 2026, serving as the emergency third-string quarterback.
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