Not only did the New York Jets suffer a brutal loss to an AFC East rival on Sunday, but their starting quarterback got hurt in the process. In Week 2’s blowout defeat at the hands of the Buffalo Bills, signal-caller Justin Fields went down with an injury.
Early in the fourth quarter, Fields was hit by edge rusher Joey Bosa. As he went down, his helmet slammed against the field, resulting in him leaving the game.
Fields underwent a subsequent examination in the on-site medical tent and departed for the locker room. Backup Tyrod Taylor finished out the day for Gang Green.
As if the day couldn’t get any worse for Jets fans, he remained in the tent.
MAN.
After the game, head coach Aaron Glenn provided an initial update on Fields’ status.
Aaron Glenn Drops Early Justin Fields Injury Update
“Justin’s in concussion protocol,” Glenn said.
While Sunday’s contest was still live, Rich Cimini of ESPN posted via X that per the team, Fields had a concussion. That wasn’t officially confirmed by Glenn.
A strong start to the 2025-26 campaign couldn’t have been less of an indicator of things to come for Fields. His outing on Sunday, pre-injury, was ugly. He went just 3-for-11 passing for 27 yards. His 39.6 passer rating was tied for thee fourth-worst single-game mark of his career. A 27-yard scamper made his rushing effectiveness look better, as he had 5 carries for 49 yards overall.
The turnover bug also came back to bite Fields. In the first quarter, he fumbled the ball away on the first play of the Jets‘ second drive. The result of Buffalo’s ensuing possession was a Matt Prater field goal.
In relief of Fields, Taylor went 7-for-11 with 56 passing yards and a touchdown. He also ran the ball three times for 21 yards. The veteran quarterback led the Jets‘ only touchdown drive of the afternoon, capping it off with a 5-yard sling to tight end Jeremy Ruckert.
Throughout his career, not counting Sunday, Taylor has appeared in 94 regular-season games (58 starts). His statistics coming into Week 2 were 1,085 completions for 12,254 yards, 68 touchdowns and 29 interceptions. He’s also rushed for 19 scores and gone over 2,000 yards on the ground. Taylor had an arthroscopic procedure on his knee in August, but Glenn was quite confident he’d be back in time and capable of backing up Fields.
Now, the Jets will wait to find out whether Taylor or Fields will start in Week 3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Rough Loss to Division Rival Highlights Jets’ Need for Improvement
Simply put, the Jets need to be better in order to have a shot at seriously competing.
They showed serious flashes in Week 1’s 34-32 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Fields himself was excellent, completing 73% of his passes, throwing for 218 yards and accounting for multiple all-purpose touchdowns. Offensively, New York moved the ball quite well. Running back Breece Hall was excellent, amassing 107 rushing yards on 19 carries.
It was the Jets‘ defense that ultimately cost them that game. Pittsburgh’s offense, led by former New York starter Aaron Rodgers, averaged 6.4 yards per play. Rodgers threw 4 touchdowns on the afternoon. A leaky secondary, featuring a rough outing for cornerback Brandon Stephens, held the team back. Week 2 was a bit of everything.
Penalties, lapses in focus and communication breakdowns left the Jets no chance. The Bills, who took their foot off the gas late, racked up 403 total net yards. Running back James Cook dominated, compiling 132 yards on the ground and a pair of scores. New York’s offensive struggles were even more profound.
Glenn made it perfectly clear after Week 1 that he isn’t into moral victories. That game gave him multiple reasons to accept one, though. A downright embarrassing shortcoming against Buffalo presents nothing but the sort.
If the Jets are to dig themselves out of an early 0-2 hole, they’ll need to correct quite a bit. That’s now, of course, on top of ensuring their QB1 is healthy.
Jets’ Aaron Glenn Gives Initial Justin Fields Week 2 Injury Update