Justin Fields out against Dolphins due to sore knee and rookie Brady Cook to serve as backup QB

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields will be sidelined against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday because of soreness in one of his knees, leaving rookie Brady Cook as the backup to starter Tyrod Taylor.

Coach Aaron Glenn said Fields wouldn’t practice Friday after being limited Thursday.

“He’s going to be out for the game,” Glenn said. “We’ll see how he progresses going into next week for him to be ready for that.”

Fields, who signed a two-year, $40 million deal — with $30 million guaranteed — with New York in March, was the starter for most of this season until he was benched the last two games as he and the offense struggled mightily. Taylor is set to start his third game in a row in place of Fields when the Jets host the AFC East-rival Dolphins.

“He felt it in practice Wednesday,” Glenn said of Fields’ knee soreness, adding that the team wants to “rest it and make sure we get it right.”

With just three games left after Sunday, there’s a chance Fields could have played his last game for the Jets.

New York is likely to have a high draft pick in April and it’s possible it could try to target its quarterback of the future. Meanwhile, Fields is due to make $20 million next season, with $10 million guaranteed. If the Jets cut Fields after the season, they will absorb $22 million in dead salary cap charges.

Cook is currently on the practice squad. He was signed by New York in May as an undrafted free agent out of Missouri, where one of his teammates was right tackle Armand Membou — the Jets’ first-round pick this year.

“He’s a very fiery guy,” Glenn said of Cook. “The one thing that we do quite a bit in practice is we have a number of competition periods and you see exactly how he goes about his business when his time comes up to really be in that situation to compete. He looks forward to it.

“He always asks when those opportunities are going to come for him to get a chance to do it, and we make sure we give him those reps.”

Cook, who threw for 9,008 yards and 49 touchdowns with 15 interceptions in five seasons at Missouri, has been elevated from the practice squad for two games this season but hasn’t played.

“He’s going to be a quarterback in this league. I do know that,” Glenn said. “You know, I can’t tell you when, but he’ll be a quarterback in this league.”

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