After how the 2023 season unfolded, finding a capable backup quarterback behind Aaron Rodgers was pretty high up on the New York Jets offseason to-do list.
Late on the first day of the NFL’s legal tampering period, the Jets did that, signing Tyrod Taylor to what is a reported two-year deal, according to Josina Anderson.
With the New York Giants last season, Taylor completed 64.4 percent of his 180 passes at 7.5 yards per attempt with five touchdowns to three interceptions.
“It means everything to me,” said Taylor about getting the opportunity to start. “I mean, the work that you put in week in and week out.
“I’ve been playing this game for a long time and anytime I get a chance to lace up the cleats and go out and compete means the world to me. That’s where I’m the happiest, and it’s what I love to do, to be able to go out and not only show your peers but prove to yourself what you could do.”
Taylor has shown a willingness to push the ball downfield, ranking third in 2023 out of all quarterbacks in downfield pass attempt rate–or throws of 20 or more yards. Taylor has also been pretty good at protecting the ball during his career, with a turnover-worthy throw rate of 2.2 percent. For some context, that figure in 2023 would have ranked as the sixth-lowest among quarterbacks.
For his career, Taylor has completed 61 percent of his throws at 6.9 yards per catch with 65 touchdowns to 30 interceptions. He’s also rushed for 2,274 yards, including two consecutive seasons from 2015 to 2016, with over 500 yards each year.
Taylor has been in the NFL since 2011 and played for six different teams. For three seasons with Buffalo from 2015 to 2017, he was the Bills’ regular starting quarterback.
“My focus day in and day out was to prepare and stay ready for if my number was called to be out there, to be able to go out and execute at a high level,” Taylor said last season.
“As a quarterback, you are literally one play away. Your preparation shouldn’t change, your attitude shouldn’t change. The quarterback is the leader, whether they want to be or not, so a lot of people look towards us during down times to see how we respond. When everything’s up, everyone’s happy, but in down times you look towards your leaders to see how you respond.”
For the Jets, the obvious hope is that Taylor doesn’t have to take any regular season snaps unless he’s going in for mop-up duty with New York up by a few scores.
However, Rodgers is entering his age 41 season and is coming off an Achilles injury, while the offensive line is currently being reshaped.
Last season, it was a cavalier approach to the backup quarterback position that forced them to continually go back to Zach Wilson while intermittently hoping that Trevor Siemian or Tim Boyle would give them a spark.
Combined, the three quarterbacks would complete 59 percent of their throws with 11 touchdowns to 15 interceptions at 5.2 yards per attempt. For more context, Carolina’s Bryce Young ranked last in yards per attempt in 2023, averaging 5.6 yards per throw.
With Brett Rypien and Trevor Semian free agents and Zach Wilson expected to be traded, Taylor and Rodgers will be the only quarterbacks on the roster for the time being. With the Jets having six Day 3 picks in the upcoming draft, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them add a developmental prospect at the quarterback position.