Buffalo Bills fans will say goodbye to Highmark Stadium after Sunday’s game against the New York Jets, but one significant player from the franchise’s history won’t be taking the field.
The Jets announced this week that they are sticking with rookie quarterback Brady Cook to close out the season, keeping veteran and former Bills starter Tyrod Taylor on the bench. Taylor played a big role in ushering in a new era for the Bills, helping end the 17-year playoff drought before leaving to make way for Josh Allen.
Jets Riding Out Season With Their Rookie
The Jets announced that Cook will start in Sunday afternoon’s game against the Bills, giving the former Missouri quarterback the chance to end his rookie season with his first NFL win. Cook said on Wednesday that he was grateful for the opportunity to start.
“I’m grateful for it, because any opportunity in this league is a great one that we have,” Cook said, via the team’s official website. “On this week, we’re going to Buffalo, and I look forward to putting a good product out on the field and balling out with these guys one last game this year.”
Cook took over for Taylor after the veteran suffered a groin injury in Week 14, and the last-place Jets have stuck with the rookie. Cook said he has learned a lot along the way.
“I’ve learned a lot from a quarterback perspective, from a leader perspective, being on this team and in starting games for the first time,” Cook, 24, said. “And you know, I’ve learned that it is still football, it’s still the game that we’ve played our entire life. It’s a kids’ game. It’s a complicated one, it’s imperfect, but it’s the game we love, and you still got to have fun doing it. And that’s … I think that’s kind of the message this week is, let’s go have fun. Let’s go have fun playing football, and let’s execute and let’s go see what we can do this last game.”
Tyrod Taylor’s Special Place in Bills History
Taylor was the starter for the Bills in 2017, the year they finished 9-7 to end the franchise’s 17-year playoff drought. He was hurt late in a wild-card round loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Bills moved on the next season as they drafted Allen.
Taylor has bounced around the league since leaving the Bills, spending the last two years with the Jets and getting a warm welcome in Orchard Park when he came into a January game in relief of Aaron Rodgers.
Though the Bills won 40-14, Taylor brought a spark off the bench and led the Jets on two touchdown drives in the fourth quarter, playing mostly against Buffalo’s backups.
The teams will meet in a largely meaningless game this weekend, with the Bills locked into a wild-card spot and playing only for seeding. Head coach Sean McDermott told reporters this week that the team would be playing their starters, though it’s not clear if Allen or running back James Cook could see a full game.
Jets Make Decision on Ex-Bills QB for Season Finale in Buffalo