Robert Saleh on Tyrod Taylor as backup quarterback: “He was fantastic”

The Jets are more aware than any other team of the importance of having a good backup quarterback. After all, New York had all hopes of Aaron Rodgersonly to suffer a season-ending injury in the first game of last year.

So enter Thomas Taylorthe 34-year-old former Virginia Tech star, who is entering his 14th season in the NFL. The Jets are his seventh team. His job is to be ready to play at any time. In his career, Taylor has started 58 times and played in 92 games. His record as a starter: 29-28-1.

Taylor’s name came up earlier this month when Rodgers skipped minicamp. Coach Robert Saleh called the absence unexcused but said the quarterback had requested the time off to attend an event well before minicamp began.

Taylor stepped up and led the Jets’ first-team offense. Saleh says Taylor is a wonderful addition.

“He was fantastic,” Saleh told reporters. “An elite person, an elite leader. The speed with which he grasps the offense is pretty cool. He’s already calling two-minute offense. … I really appreciate the dialogue we were all able to have with him.”

Jets are Taylor’s third team in New York State

Taylor didn’t have to move when he signed with the Jets. After all, he had played for the Giants in the Meadowlands for two seasons. His home stadium was MetLife. The same goes for the Jets.

There are obviously some differences between the offenses of nearby NFL teams. But Taylor has seen it all. The Ravens selected him in the sixth round of the 2011 draft. The Jets are the third team he has played for in upstate New York. He started 43 games with the Bills from 2015 to 2017.

When he led the Jets’ offense at minicamp, he talked like a first-string quarterback.

“I think we did some good things, but there are still things to improve,” Taylor told reporters. “Overall, I like how the guys competed and performed. There’s always room for improvement. You’ll never hear me say, ‘Oh, that was great. On to the next one.’ Even in blowout wins and days when the offense dominates the field, there are opportunities to improve. That’s how you have to look at it, with a critical eye. We’re going to continue to do that and continue to sharpen the sword as we prepare for training camp.”

Saleh said the team has the offense under control this spring

Meanwhile, Rodgers was with the Jets, except for minicamp. A year ago, he was just getting to know the offense after the Packers traded him at his request. The Jets thought he would make the difference in getting the team into the playoffs. But after Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon in the season opener, New York was no longer a factor in the AFC.

But the 40-year-old Rodgers has taken a lot with him. Saleh said that before minicamp, the Jets were able to run 200 more offensive reps at full speed during OTAs than they did in Rodgers’ first spring.

“First of all, guys know what to do, so there are fewer mistakes,” Saleh told Sports Illustrated. “We’re in year two in the system now. The ball is snapped a hell of a lot faster. But at the same time, we’re trying to push the envelope. We’re trying to find the balance of why we’ve been hurt the last two years, especially along the offensive line. … We’re trying to make the team a little more numb without being reminiscent of the Junction Boys days.”