When Justin Fields limped to the medical tent Thursday morning, the New York Jets did not flinch.

As the projected 2025 starting quarterback left the field in a cart, head coach Aaron Glenn was just as motivated and talkative as ever with his new team. The organization went on as if nothing had happened.

There’s a reason for that. And it’s not just because the injury didn’t appear serious.

Unlike many teams, which are built primarily with the hope that their franchise quarterback stays healthy, Gang Green has the kind of backup quarterback that can keep them afloat should their starter ever get hurt.

Fields’ foot injury may only have been a “day-to-day” injury, but the Jets have a backup plan just in case.

It’s arguably the best backup plan in the NFL.

Jets Have Ultimate Backup QB

Tyrod Taylor has been in the NFL for a very long time. A former sixth-round pick from the 2011 draft, Taylor has started 58 games in his career and has played for seven different organizations.

Upon arriving at the Jets’ facility in 2024, he immediately became New York’s trusted backup.

Not only has he been a quality backup, but he’s also been a consummate leader and professional throughout the turmoil that has engulfed the team in recent seasons.

There’s a reason why the Jets kept him around when they brought in Glenn and his staff.

“Listen, we have an outstanding backup in Tyrod, who has been in this league for around 14 years,” Glenn said. “So, the leadership that he brings, listen, we’re all good. We’re all good.”

Most teams around the league want their backup quarterback to mirror the skill set of their starter. If a team has a scrambling quarterback as a starter, it would tend to push for a mobile backup to keep its offensive game plan as similar as possible from week to week.

That’s what the Jets have with Fields and Taylor.

As a quarterback for 14 years, Taylor has understood what it takes to stay in NFL locker rooms. This knowledge comes from bouncing around to seven different teams over the course of a career.

“First and foremost, I have to be myself, and I think naturally everything else will fall into place,” Taylor said Friday. “The work ethic that I put in doesn’t go unnoticed from a coaching perspective as well as your teammates.

“The preparation, or when called upon, taking advantage of opportunities, and I think that there has to be respect within that first and foremost.”

Taylor has thrown 68 touchdowns to just 29 interceptions throughout his career. He has been known as a player who doesn’t take gambles and doesn’t turn the football over.

That patient approach can work as a stop-gap or backup signal-caller, but not for a starting quarterback.

His leadership, though, is what stands out the most. In his last season as a starting quarterback with the Buffalo Bills in 2017, Taylor was the signal-caller who led the organization to their first playoff appearance in two decades. He had the league’s lowest interception percentage in the regular season.

His time as a starting quarterback for a full 17-game season, though, is over. His role as a backup quarterback remains.

In many ways, Taylor’s leadership and experience in modern offenses make him the perfect backup for a Justin Fields-led Jets offense. He has the skill set to step in and make plays whenever he is called upon.

He may not be a starter like Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen, but Taylor has stayed in the league because of his ability as a backup.

For the Jets, that is worth its weight in gold for the 2025 season.