Jets’ quiet moves hint Tyrod Taylor injury may be worse than expected

The New York Jets were preparing to start veteran Tyrod Taylor at quarterback in the team's Week 8 win over the Cincinnati Bengals this past Sunday. All indications were that Taylor would get the nod over Justin Fields until he was surprisingly ruled out with a knee injury just 24 hours before kickoff.

Taylor underwent a minor procedure on his knee in the summer and missed the entire preseason as a result. He was able to suit up and be active for the team's first game of the season and had not missed any regular-season action because of the injury until this past week.

Most assumed that Taylor's injury was little more than a flare-up and that he would be ready to return, likely as a backup again, following the Jets' bye in Week 9. That might not be the case, however.

The Jets hosted a pair of veteran quarterbacks, Desmond Ridder and Dorian Thompson-Robinson, for workouts on Wednesday, leading to speculation that Taylor's injury may be more serious than the team has led on.

Tyrod Taylor injury may be more serious than Jets have indicated

Jets head coach Aaron Glenn told reporters after Sunday's game that Taylor and Fields were initially competing in practice to determine the team's Week 8 starting quarterback, but that Taylor didn't feel comfortable enough to play in the game.

Glenn did not elaborate further on Taylor's injury, but the belief was that it was not overly serious. However, the Jets are now looking at external options, presumably in case Taylor misses time due to his injury.

Undrafted rookie Brady Cook was elevated from the practice squad to serve as the team's backup quarterback for the second time this season on Sunday. Cook is the only other quarterback under contract with the Jets at the moment.

Ridder is a former third-round pick of the Atlanta Falcons, who started 17 games between 2022 and 2023 in Atlanta. He's bounced around various teams since, most recently appearing in six games with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2024 and spending time with the Minnesota Vikings earlier this year.

Thompson-Robinson was a fifth-round pick of the Cleveland Browns in 2023, starting five games for the team over the last two seasons. He was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in March but failed to make the final roster. The former UCLA star has thrown just one touchdown to 10 interceptions in his NFL career to this point.

It's possible the Jets are simply using their bye week to assess potential emergency quarterback options, but with Taylor nursing the knee injury at the moment, the timing is certainly notable.

This is a situation that bears monitoring over the coming days. The Jets may be preparing to add a new quarterback to their roster.