When the New York Jets visit the New England Patriots for Week 11’s edition of Thursday Night Football, the nation will watch two rival franchises with dramatically different trajectories.
The Patriots have found their franchise quarterback. Drake Maye is a star. New England is reaping the benefits, and the AFC East is preparing for another decade of Patriots hate. The Jets, conversely, have not. Justin Fields has struggled mightily, and after New York traded its best defensive players, fans are focusing on the 2026 NFL Draft.
New York Jets Fans Calling for Tyrod Taylor To Start
New York is expected to take a quarterback early in April’s NFL Draft. In the meantime, fans and analysts are calling for backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor to take the reins.
Despite trading Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams to restock their draft capital, the Jets are adamant that they are trying to remain competitive. A gritty win over the Cleveland Browns in Week 10 furthered that cause, and an upset over New England would provide a massive moral boost.
Thus, it might not be in New York’s best interest to start Fields in the name of a youth movement and upside. By now, Fields is close to a finished product, but it is not yet a viable starter. Jets X-Factor analyst Michael Nania started a conversation about Taylor being the more formidable option moving forward.
“Bench Fields for Tyrod, start the AD Mitchell/John Metchie/Arian Smith trio, and throw them 25 targets per game, including at least 3-4 deep shots,” Nania posted.
“The only serious option for both winning road games @ NE & BAL and building for the long term.”
Fans were quick to agree, chiming in with comments about Fields’ futility, Taylor’s competence, and the potential emergence of third-string quarterback Brady Cook.
Bench Fields for Tyrod, start the AD Mitchell/John Metchie/Arian Smith trio, and throw them 25 targets per game, including at least 3-4 deep shots
The only serious option for both winning road games @ NE & BAL and building for the long term https://t.co/ddE1LpNE3r
— Michael Nania (@Michael_Nania) November 10, 2025
“Yes. Gotta bench Fields,” one fan said. “It was a brutal offensive performance yet again!”
Fields’ box scores have been bad, even by the standards of recent Jets quarterbacking. He left Week 2 with a concussion and was benched in Week 7. He has logged fewer than 60 passing yards in four of his eight starts this season.
“I agree,” a different fan said. “The Jets should make the change at QB Thursday night, but due to the short week, they probably won’t. If Justin Fields plays poorly again, then Glenn should make the change to Tyrod Taylor against the Ravens.”
The Jets beat the Browns in Week 10, but Fields generated just 54 passing yards and one touchdown.
“I could not agree more with this! Thank you! The whole point of the rest of this season is to evaluate the offense and the roster as a whole,” another said.
READ MORE: PFSN’s 2025 NFL Midseason Awards: Predicting the MVP, DPOY, OPOY, Coach of the Year, and More
By PFSN’s Quarterback Impact metric, Fields ranks 28th of 38 qualified passers. Taylor, in his limited action, ranks 34th.
“Tyrod Taylor should start the rest of the season, they draft a new QB. Both Fields and Taylor leave (I don’t think he would want another year as a backup with the Jets),” a commenter replied. “They get another vet as backup (Flacco).”
Taylor started in Fields’ absence against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, throwing for 197 yards and two scores in a close loss. He wasn’t much better than Fields against Carolina, when his lack of arm talent led to two interceptions in a game New York lost 13-6.
Subsequently, most fans assume that the next Jets’ starter isn’t on the roster. With a top pick coming in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Jets will be favorites to draft a quarterback. However, an exciting 2027 class gives the team additional flexibility.
“Start Cook,” a desperate fan wrote. “Tyrod and Fields won’t be here next year.”
New York remains in quarterback hell, a far cry from the passing purgatory other teams fear. As the Jets continue to search for answers under center, a tough New England defense might render the Jets’ decision meaningless.
