Tyrod Taylor makes his Jets preseason debut against the Commanders

The Jets opened their preseason schedule against Washington today with their second units, and QB Tyrod Taylor was at home.

Taylor, who was handed the starting assignment over sideline guard and future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers, made his 23rd preseason start in his 14-year NFL career with his seventh different team. And while the production wasn’t up to par for Taylor or the second offense in the Jets’ 20-17 comeback win over the Commanders in the teams’ season opener at MetLife Stadium, Taylor has no qualms about his role in the Jets’ offense regardless of his spot on the depth chart.

“It’s just the work you put in in the classroom and applying it on the field,” Taylor said before the game. “At the end of the day, it’s about going out there and competing at a high level. I love to compete, I love to make plays. Just getting the ball to guys and giving them the opportunity to make plays is what I focus on day in and day out.”

Taylor’s stats against Washington were nothing to write home about in his Green and White debut before he was replaced after the first quarter by Wyoming rookie Andrew Peasley. He had two series under center (C Joe Tippmann was the only Jets starter on offense or defense who played in this game) and both series ended in 3-and-outs for the Jets offense.

He dropped back only twice, completing one pass for a 1-yard loss to rookie WR Malachi Corley.

“I thought he did a good job,” head coach Robert Saleh said of Taylor’s time on the field. “There were some fouls that threw us off course and didn’t give us a chance to take off. Overall, it was a draw.”

A false start by first-round rookie tackle Olu Fashanu on the Jets’ second offensive play of the game set up a second-and-9 situation. Two plays later, Taylor escaped the pocket and found rookie running back Braelon Allen for a 12-yard completion that would have converted a third-and-9, but a flag for an ineligible receiver down the field was thrown to G Xavier Newman and the completion and conversion were negated.

Plus, none of this is indicative of what Taylor will bring to the table if he is called up in the regular season. In his time with the Ravens, Bills, Browns, Chargers, Texans and Giants, he has started 58 games and thrown 65 touchdown passes and 29 interceptions. He has also averaged a nifty 5.6 yards per carry with 19 more touchdowns on the ground.

Taylor will be eligible to start in the Jets’ second summer game, at Carolina on Saturday night. For the final preseason game against the Giants on Aug. 24, coach Robert Saleh said a Rodgers start — which would be his first since tearing his Achilles on the fourth play of last year’s regular-season opener against Buffalo — is still possible, but that decision will be a “collaborative effort” that includes Rodgers and will be made in a few weeks.