QB Tyrod Taylor Cleared to Play as Jets Avoid Potentially Season‑Shaking QB Setback Against Browns
Veteran quarterback Tyrod Taylor is officially cleared to play this week for the New York Jets ahead of their matchup with the Cleveland Browns.
He returned to full‑practice status after recovering from a knee injury that sidelined him for Week 8. The Jets confirmed he did not receive an injury designation on the latest report.
Taylor hurt his knee during the Week 7 contest when he replaced Justin Fields at halftime. He missed the trip to face the Cincinnati Bengals and sat out while Fields started.
With the medical clearance now in hand, the Jets have options at quarterback for Week 10. Coach Aaron Glenn kept his decision under wraps, maintaining “we will have a quarterback” without naming who it will be.
Taylor remains a key figure even without starting. His 15-year career adds experience to a young roster. With Fields under scrutiny for performance and protection concerns after surrendering 22 sacks earlier this season, the Jets could rely on Taylor’s steadiness if a change is needed.
The question now shifts from health to role. Will the Jets leverage Taylor’s veteran presence or stick with the younger starter? Either path signals something important about their direction.
New York Jets Get Relief as Tyrod Taylor Returns to Full Practice
The New York Jets received a boost this week as veteran quarterback Tyrod Taylor returned to full practice status with a knee injury officially listed as full participant on the latest injury report.
His clearance eases the injury concerns heading into Sunday’s matchup at home against the Cleveland Browns, a game that carries outsized significance for a Jets club currently 1-7.
Having both Taylor and starter Justin Fields available gives head coach Aaron Glenn more options but also increases the need for clarity around the direction of the offense.
The Jets experimented with other quarterbacks during Taylor’s absence, underlining the urgency for answers under center.
Cleveland’s defense may be offering a window of opportunity. The Browns rank 32nd in points scored and 29th in rushing yards gained this season.
Meanwhile, the Jets have made significant roster moves, trading away key defensive pieces, including cornerback Sauce Gardner and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, moves that reflect a pivot but also leave questions on the defensive front.
Taylor’s return brings relief yet it also puts pressure on the decision-makers. The Jets must now decide whether they are building for now or preparing for whatever comes next.
With Cleveland’s offense floundering and their defense offering mixed signals of strength and fatigue, the stage is set. If the Jets’ quarterback choice and surrounding offensive structure align, this could be a lift. If not, the moment may slip through their fingers.
Ex-Vikings QB Kirk Cousins Viable Trade Target for High-Powered AFC Offense
The Minnesota Vikings chose signing Carson Wentz over attempting to trade for Kirk Cousins ahead of the regular season, which may prove a mistake following an injury to J.J. McCarthy in Week 2.
McCarthy is likely to miss between two and four weeks after severely spraining his ankle against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, September 14, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. Cousins knows head coach Kevin O’Connell’s offense and several of the players in the huddle, though he would have cost the Vikings an asset in a deal.
The team would also have likely had to pay a significant portion of Cousins’ $27.5 million base salary in 2025 at the age of 37 and coming off injuries in back-to-back seasons, all of which likely contributed to Minnesota’s choice to ink the younger and less expensive Wentz instead.
However, Wentz must now take the reins of the offense next weekend against the Cincinnati Bengals, while undrafted rookie Max Brosmer elevates into the QB2 role and the Vikings likely go on the hunt for a veteran signal-caller to add to the mix for at least as long as McCarthy is out.
Cousins is no longer as viable an option for Minnesota after the franchise brought in Wentz, but he could make sense for their Week 3 competitors. Cincinnati lost star quarterback Joe Burrow for up to three months following a toe injury Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars that will require surgery.
The Bengals have one of the NFL’s more reliable backup options in Jake Browning, though he threw three interceptions in Week 2 as Cincinnati narrowly escaped a home loss to the visiting Jaguars.
Bengals so Reliant on QB Position to Carry Team, They May Consider Expensive Trade for Kirk Cousins
Getty Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.
The Bengals have invested massively in their offense, paying Burrow and wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins north of $550 million combined on those three players’ most recent contract extensions.
Because of that, Cincinnati doesn’t have an overly impressive offensive line or defense, which has kept the team’s success teetering on the edge of a knife over the last several years. The Bengals rely so heavily on the offense to carry the team and so heavily on Burrow to carry the offense; however, by not protecting Burrow appropriately, the organization also constantly risks everything falling apart.
That burden now falls to Browning who has appeared in 13 career games, starting seven of them (4-3). He boasts a career completion percentage of nearly 70% and has tallied 2,177 passing yards, 14 TDs and 10 INTs over his three years in Cincinnati. A total of 241 of those yards, as well as two TDs and three INTs, came against Jacksonville in Week 2.
Browning actually began his career with the Vikings in 2019 as an undrafted rookie.
Bengals Can Afford Trade for Kirk Cousins Under Right Circumstances
GettyAtlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Cousins is a far more accomplished and experienced player than Browning. The question is whether the Bengals want to spend what it would require to trade for him.
The answer could be yes, simply given how much Cincinnati leans on the QB position and how quickly its season might crumble if Browning struggles or suffers an injury of his own.
Cousins has a no-trade clause but would likely be willing to waive it for a chance to play with Chase and Higgins in a high-powered offense that needs the QB to throw the ball effectively and at high-volume to even stay in games, let alone win them.
The Bengals currently have nearly $13 million in cap space and could probably work out a deal with the Falcons to take on only so much of Cousins’ 2025 salary that it fits under that number.
