The Jets benched starting quarterback Justin Fields for backup Tyrod Taylor early in the third quarter of Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers.
Fields completed 6 of 12 passes for 46 yards and took three sacks while adding 22 yards on four rushes.
"We all have our different opinions," Fields said. "... It's not my decision. I'm here to be the best teammate I can be. I'm here to be the best person I can be. So, like I said, it's not up to me. Of course I wish things would've went a little bit different not only for me but for this team."
New York (0-7) made the change at the third quarter's 10:40 mark and trailing Carolina (4-3) 13-3 after Ryan Fitzgerald's 29-yard field goal. Gang Green lost, 13-6.
"I understand the nature of the quarterback change and, listen, we needed a spark at that time," said Jets coach Aaron Glenn. "I felt it was the right time to do it. Obviously, it was a tough situation for both of those guys. But it was my call. It was my call, and I felt it was the right time to do it.
"So, when it goes into next week, I'm not ready to sit here and say what's going on with our quarterbacks. But I will say this -- that's something I have to look at."
The 26-year-old Fields, whom the Jets signed in March to a two-year contract for $40 million, entered Week 7 having completed 80 of 123 passes for four touchdowns through five games.
He missed New York's Sept. 21 game at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a 29-27 loss, with a concussion.
"A little bit," Fields said when asked if he was surprised by his benching. "But at the same time, I can't be mad at the decision. I understand why. It's just life. It's football. I've learned to not take anything personal. Coach A.G., I think he wanted to see if there was a spark.
"... As far as my job here, I'm going to be the same. I'm going to come to work the same. I'm going to lead the same."
Taylor started and completed 26 of 36 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns to one interception.
In relief of the injured Fields Sept. 14, during the Jets' 30-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills, Taylor was 7-for-11 passing with 56 yards and one touchdown.
Taylor, 36, is in his second season with the Jets. He was New York's backup in 2024 behind former starter Aaron Rodgers.
Taylor finished Sunday with 10 of 22 passes completed for 126 yards and two interceptions.
"I just felt like it was time," Glenn said. "Our team needed a spark. And I thought we did move the ball fairly well -- obviously not enough to give ourselves a chance to win."
"He just said he was going to throw Tyrod in there for a drive, and I can't blame him," Fields said of Glenn's halftime message. "We only scored, what, three points in the first half? It is what it is, and that's life. That's life."
The Jets head to Cincinnati for Week 8 with next Sunday's 1 p.m. game at the Bengals (3-4).
"We've got to improve," Glenn said. "We have to improve in this situation because now you see what they're doing against the run -- they're loading the box against the run. Sometimes they're putting nine people in the box.
"So, in order to loosen guys up, you have to be efficient to some degree in the passing game and that's something that hasn't shown up in the last two games and I have to take a look at that and put a lot of fault on me. As the head coach of this team, I have to make sure that we do whatever we have to do to get our passing game going."
Glenn defended Fields after Week 6 and not benching him following last Sunday's 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos in London.
"You don't want to have that kind of mindset, going into the game," Fields said of if he entered Sunday with the thought that his leash could be short. "You kind of got that feeling after that last two-minute drive ... but, like I said, everything in this life happens for a reason and just going to keep working and keep going."
Fields was 9-of-17 passing with 45 yards against Denver.
"It's always a tough situation," Glenn said. "It's always a tough decision. But as the head coach, you have to take a look at the team and see what is best for you to put yourself in position to win the game, and that's the only thing that's going through my mind when I was walking in.
"And I just told the offense staff, and then I went and told Justin and Tyrod exactly what I was going to do and made the decision."
Glenn added that he would decide on a starter for the Jets' next game after consulting with his offensive staff.
"Well, ultimately, I make the call," Glenn said. "But there's a lot of conversations I've got to have with myself to see what can I do to make sure that we give us a chance to win.
"And then, obviously, I'm going to talk to the offensive staff and see what their thoughts are also. But we'll make the right decision. Whatever the decision is, I'm going to go with it and we're going to move forward."
Either way, Glenn did not rule out the idea of a move back to Fields.
"It's always the question that's always asked, and that's always something that you have to really look at," Glenn said of potentially starting Taylor and what that would mean for Fields going forward.
"I don't ever think that that's something you could positively say -- that, if we go with another guy, you can't go back to the other guy. Man, this is the NFL. It's ebbs and flows with how things go. To me, I'm trying to put the guys that's going to give us the best chance to win -- whoever that may be, at that specific time, that's what I'm going to do."
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