What Jets' Tyrod Taylor has learned amid journeyman career

New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn confirmed on Wednesday that backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor will start this coming Sunday's game at the 2-0 Tampa Bay Buccaneers as Gang Green QB1 Justin Fields remains in concussion protocol.

Taylor has taken in-game regular-season snaps with seven total teams during his journeyman career. While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, the 36-year-old revealed how his NFL experiences have helped him become somewhat of a locker-room leader while serving as a QB2.

Tyrod Taylor stays in the moment as a backup

"Obviously, you want to be out there playing, but there’s other ways you can affect the team in a positive way," Taylor acknowledged, per Antwan Staley of the New York Daily News. "And as I sit and wait my time for the opportunity to present itself, I can’t be a bad teammate. I can’t sulk in what if or what should happen. The reality of it is that I need to be in the moment, and I’ve learned to be more vocal over the years. I think as a quarterback, eyes are always on you. So, how you are when you’re up, when you’re down, when things aren’t going your way, it’s a reflection of your character."

Taylor went 2-3 across his last five starts as a member of the New York Giants during the 2023 season. More recently, he wasn't given an opportunity to compete for the Jets' full-time starting job after the club signed Fields to a two-year, $40M deal with $30M guaranteed this past March. 

"I’ve never been one to, I guess, question why my time isn’t right then or right now," Taylor added during his comments. "It’s more so just preparing myself for whenever it does happen that I make the most of it." 

Could Tyrod Taylor spark New York Jets quarterback controversy?

Some believe Taylor could spark a quarterback controversy if he guides the Jets to a victory in Tampa Bay after Fields completed just 3-of-11 passes for 27 yards before he suffered a concussion in the 30-10 home loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 2. For what it's worth, first-year Jets head coach Aaron Glenn seems confident that Taylor will give the club a chance to win at Raymond James Stadium.

"There’s an element within him that we also have in Justin that I like a lot," Glenn said about Taylor on Wednesday, according to Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. "And the fact that he’s been in this league for a long time, there’s no coverage, there’s no pressure that he hasn’t seen. So, that’s why I have confidence in him, and he’s a very studious person, a good athlete, again, been around this league for a long time. There’s no better player that you would want as your backup quarterback than him at this point in time." 

As of Thursday morning, ESPN BET had the 0-2 Jets as 6.5-point road underdogs against the Buccaneers. If nothing else, New York sports talk radio programs could generate some interesting content on Monday morning if Taylor performs well in a New York win over the weekend.