The 2-8 New York Jets seem to have finally had enough. The AFC East’s rock-bottom franchise has made a major announcement ahead of its Week 12 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. Head coach Aaron Glenn‘s decision is telling, as it comes hot on the heels of quarterback Justin Fields deviating from the game plan.

According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, New York is benching Fields in favor of veteran Tyrod Taylor ahead of its next game.

Has Tyrod been able to deliver while playing as a starting QB? He has played in three games this season, with his sole start coming in the 29-27 defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It is important to note that the veteran could not convince Glenn to hand him the role, as Justin threw one interception and got sacked four times in that game. 

Meanwhile, Fields has had a moderate season with the Jets, putting up 1,259 passing yards with a 62.7% completion rate and seven touchdowns. But despite these stats, his recent performance was anything but impressive. Last week, he managed just 116 passing yards in his team’s 27-14 loss to the New England Patriots. In fact, he could only post 23 yards in the first half. 

Further, the quarterback move isn’t surprising as Glenn has done it before. Back in late October, the HC turned to Taylor in the third quarter when his team had scored just three points against the Carolina Panthers. The switch didn’t make a difference as Tyrod threw two interceptions and had an abysmal 45.5% completion rate that day. New York fell 13-6 to Carolina, prompting questions about Aaron’s decision. His answer was simple:

“We needed a spark. At that time I felt it was the right time to do it. Obviously it’s a tough situation for both those guys, but it was my call.”

Now, Glenn is at it again, but we think his decision isn’t just about Justin’s poor performance. 

Is there more behind Aaron Glenn’s decision?

After the Week 11 game, Justin Fields announced that he’s ready to break away from Glenn’s coaching plan. For him, that means using his legs whenever needed, which isn’t part of the safer approach the coach prefers.

“Whatever I have to do to get this team as successful as can be. For us to reach our highest potential, I’m willing to do whatever. If that’s me running the ball, that’s what it is,” Fields said during the post-game conference.

Interestingly, the franchise briefly embraced Justin’s style during the Patriots game. The QB ran five times on the opening drive and even scored a touchdown on a planned run. However, the plan suddenly shifted when that drive ended and the Fields’ rushing attempts disappeared, and so did Aaron’s trust. 

The Jets went three-and-out on their next three drives, and the offense froze again. While discussing the shift, Glenn clarified that coaches weren’t being conservative but cautious. 

“We don’t want to make it a habit of our quarterback just continuing to run because we can put him in harm’s way,” he said. “Justin ran the ball quite a bit… we just have to be calculated when we do those things.”

So, while Glenn wanted control and protection, his quarterback felt he needed to run the ball more. That difference in approach could pose a problem for the Jets’ offense, which has struggled for most of the ongoing season.