Jets bench Justin Fields: Aaron Glenn won't commit to a starting QB following Week 7 loss to Panthers

The winless New York Jets made a change at quarterback during halftime of their eventual 13-6 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, as Aaron Glenn benched Justin Fields in favor of veteran signal-caller Tyrod Taylor. 

Fields completed 6 of 12 passes for just 46 yards, and rushed for 22 yards before being benched. Taylor didn't fare much better, as the 36-year-old completed 10 of 22 passes for 126 yards, and also threw two interceptions in the loss.

"Listen, we needed a spark," Glenn told reporters of the change after the game. "At that time I felt like 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."

Glenn wouldn't commit to Fields or Taylor as his starting quarterback moving forward. The Jets, who fell to 0-7 with the loss, head on the road to face the Cincinnati Bengals next week.

"I'm not ready to sit here and say what's going to happen next week with our quarterbacks, but I will say this: That's something I have to look at," Glenn said.

This new quarterback controversy comes one week after Fields registered minus-10 net passing yards in the Jets' London loss to the Denver Broncos. In that matchup, New York's offense recorded just 82 total yards.

Glenn admitted to reporters earlier this week that Fields took a "step back" during the loss to the Broncos, but was not ready to bench him. 

"I thought about this a lot last night. I thought about the question that was asked. When you look at what Justin did the games that he played," Glenn said. "I didn't think he was bad at all. I actually thought he did some pretty good things in those four games, and this fifth game, he took a step back. And I'm with you guys 100%, and we can't have that. We have to get better than that. And he knows that. He knows that better than anyone. I don't think you just try to bench a player after having one true bad game, because I thought the other games he played fairly well."

After spending last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Fields signed a two-year, $40 million contract with the Jets that included $30 million guaranteed. In the first five games of the season, Fields completed 65% of his passes for 799 yards (159.8 passing yards per game), four touchdowns and zero interceptions. 

Taylor is in his second season with the Jets. A sixth-round pick out of Virginia Tech in 2011, Taylor has also played for the Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Chargers, Houston Texans and New York Giants. He owns a 28-29-1 record as a starter.

The Jets entered Sunday averaging 279.8 total yards per game, which ranked fourth-worst in the NFL, and 144.2 passing yards per game, which ranked dead last in the NFL. Glenn is the first Jets coach to ever begin his tenure 0-7, and he's clearly looking for a stabilizing force under center that can get this offense on the right track.