The New York Jets are making a change under center.
The NFL’s only winless team pulled quarterback Justin Fields from Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers and replaced him with veteran backup Tyrod Taylor to start the second half.
The Panthers led 10-3 at halftime and added a field goal on their opening possession before Taylor took the field. Fields, who briefly left in the first half with an injury before returning, went 6 of 12 for 47 passing yards and 22 rushing yards before the benching.
The Jets’ offense has fallen flat with Fields under center in 2025 after the quarterback signed a two-year, $40 million contract in free agency this offseason.
Fields had a promising Jets debut against the Steelers in Week 1, as he had three total touchdowns in a 34-32 loss against his former team. It has gone downhill from there, as he totaled just four touchdowns since then.
The worst performance came in Week 6, as Fields took nine sacks and the Jets’ offense totaled -10 net passing yards in a 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos in London. Jets head coach Aaron Glenn defended Fields following the defeat, dismissing a reporter’s question about the possibility of benching his quarterback.
Fields, a former Ohio State standout, spent his first three NFL seasons with the Chicago Bears before getting traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2024 offseason. The Steelers went 4-2 in the six games Fields started to open the 2024 season, but Fields was benched once starter Russell Wilson returned from injury.
Now, the Jets turn to Taylor. The 15-year NFL veteran started the Jets’ narrow Week 3 defeat against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers while Fields was out with a concussion, going 26-for-36 with 197 passing yards, two passing touchdowns and an interception, along with 48 rushing yards on eight carries.
The Jets will visit the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 8 before heading on their bye.