Insider 'would be surprised' if Jets made this Tyrod Taylor, Justin Fields decision

New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn raised eyebrows when he failed to guarantee that quarterback Justin Fields will return to the starting lineup in place of temporary QB1 Tyrod Taylor whenever Fields exits the league's concussion protocol. 

On Wednesday morning, NFL insider Jeremy Fowler of ESPN suggested that Glenn isn't ready to give up on Fields with the Jets at 0-3.

Why Jets still have faith in Justin Fields

"I would be surprised if the Jets turn away from Fields this early, assuming he's healthy," Fowler wrote. "They know Fields had an uneven training camp from a passing standpoint but felt that he turned things around late in the preseason with a string of good practices leading into Week 1. They are hoping Week 2 was an aberration."

Fowler was referencing how Fields completed just 3-of-11 passes for 27 yards before he suffered a concussion in the Jets' 30-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 14. That said, Fields impressed onlookers as he connected on 16-of-22 pass attempts for 218 yards and accounted for three touchdowns (one passing, two rushing) in the Week 1 home defeat against the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

Meanwhile, Taylor produced a mixed bag of results as he completed 26-of-36 passes for 197 yards with two touchdowns and a costly interception returned for a score in this past Sunday's 29-27 loss at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Could money impact Jets' Tyrod Taylor, Justin Fields decision?

The fact that the Jets can escape Fields' contract as soon as next offseason has caused some to wonder if Taylor could essentially win the starting job while atop the depth chart. Fowler seems to believe the Jets aren't ready to go down that road quite yet. 

"In theory, the Jets have a running offense, which can work well with Fields as the dual-threat option with Breece Hall and Braelon Allen in the backfield," Fowler added. "New York can turn to Taylor at any time -- Week 6, Week 10, he's always ready as a viable option. But money also typically speaks in these situations. The Jets are paying Fields $20M in cash in 2025. Give him time to earn that." 

It remains to be seen if Fields will be available for the upcoming "Monday Night Football" game at the 0-3 Miami Dolphins. As of Wednesday morning, the Jets were 2.5-point road underdogs for that contest.