With backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor out for the rest of the preseason, the Jets worked out veterans C.J. Beathard and Nathan Peterman on Thursday, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.
Beathard, 31, is a six-year veteran with 32 career appearances and a 3-10 record as a starter. He last played in 2023 for the Jaguars; in 2024, he spent a few weeks on the Dolphins’ practice squad before returning to Jacksonville. Originally a 49ers third-round pick in 2017, Beathard had a 12:13 TD:INT ratio in 13 appearances across his first two seasons and hasn’t risen above backup on a depth chart since.
Peterman, also 31, started his career somewhat infamously with 12 interceptions in eight games for the Bills in 2017 and 2018. The former fifth-round pick has since bounced around the league, appearing in two games for the Raiders (2020-2021) and five for the Bears (2022-2023).
Either would provide depth to a Jets quarterback room that will be without Taylor for a few weeks as he recovers from a knee scope. Justin Fields recovered from a toe injury to play 10 snaps against the Packers last Saturday, but the team will want to limit their starter’s exposure in the next two preseason games.
The two quarterbacks behind Fields and Taylor are Adrian Martinez and Brady Cook. Martinez went undrafted out of Kansas State in 2023 before dominating the UFL the following year. He then spent the 2024 NFL season on the Jets’ practice squad. Cook, an undrafted rookie out of Missouri, hurt his ankle in a joint practice with the Giants, but head coach Aaron Glenn downplayed the severity (via The Athletic’s Zach Blatt).
Cook has since returned to practice, but the Jets may need to make a last-minute signing if he is unavailable to play in their second preseason contest on Saturday night. Otherwise, Fields would be a Martinez injury away from having to re-enter the game behind the team’s depth offensive linemen. If Cook is good to go, he and Martinez should be able to carry the load against the Giants after solid showings in Green Bay.
The Jets’ QB workouts could also be an exploration of their options should Taylor’s absence extend into the regular season. Rather than installing Martinez or Cook as the backup quarterback, they may prefer another veteran behind Fields, who has never played a full season in his four-year career.