Taylor, who will turn 36 on Aug. 3, is the oldest player on the Jets roster as he prepares for his 15th NFL season and second with the Green & White. In limited action last season as Aaron Rodgers’ backup, Taylor’s three series all ended in TDs as he converted on 17-of-27 passes for 119 yards. Keeping Taylor in the QB room insured continuity with a new coaching staff coming in and a new starting quarterback.
“I think the most important part is if, if anything does happen to Justin, I don’t think there’s any drop off as far as what we want to do when it comes to play calls,” Glenn said on Thursday. “Very similar when you talked about skill sets. So that was enticing for us, and when the leadership ability, the things that we hear, heard about him. I played against him before [in previous coaching stops], and you could just tell the players really gravitate to him. When he says something, everybody really listened, even the coaching staff. He’s been around this league a long time. They know what it takes to win, and he’s a really good person, so, like, we’re all excited to have that guy here. Listen, Justin is who he is, and if something happens to him, we got be ready to go.”
Taylor is now playing for his seventh team since he was a sixth-round selection by Baltimore in the 2011 NFL Draft, with stops along the way with Buffalo, Cleveland, LA Chargers, Houston and the Giants. Along the way he’s crossed paths with any number of head coaches and assistants, and even though Glenn is a first year HC, Taylor senses something special.
“I think when you shift in culture and starting fresh, I think there’s certain qualities that you have to have in a head coach. And I think Coach Glenn has those,” Taylor said. “He demands, not really demands, he gets the respect from everyone, just by the way he presents himself.
“His message to the team has been consistent since Day 1. He’s a straight shooter, and he gets it from a player side. He knows how to take care of us. He also requires us to work as well, too. The conversation is always transparent. And as a player, you can respect that you know what you’re getting when you’re walking in the building, and it doesn’t just stop there.”
He concluded his time on the podium when he said: “Guys are working and no complaining. Guys are bought in, and we’re giving ourselves the best chance to go out and be successful.”