Tyrod Taylor

Tyrod Taylor was born on August 3, 1989, in Hampton, VirginiaVirginiaVirginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state whose capital is Richmond. It entered the Union on June 25, 1788, as the 10th state, and had a population of 8,631,393 in the 2020 census (April 1, 2020).Open the full entry. His given name is Tyrod Di’Allo Taylor, and his first name is pronounced “TIE-rod.” His parents are Rodney Taylor and Trina Taylor, and he is their only child.⁠[1][2][3][4]

His parents taught him hard work and their Christian faith and encouraged him to aim high. Rodney Taylor said his son’s confidence was “a product of where he’s from” and that they taught him he could do anything he wanted to do.⁠[4]

Baseball was his first love before he concentrated on football and basketball, and he grew up admiring Hampton natives Michael Vick, Allen Iverson and Ronald Curry.⁠[4]

When he was a high school freshman, Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer said that Taylor would one day be his quarterback.⁠[4]

At Hampton High School, coached by Mike Smith, he was a three-year starter, with 7,690 yards of total offense and 100 touchdowns over his high school career: 5,144 passing yards and 44 touchdown passes, and 2,546 rushing yards and 56 rushing touchdowns. He was twice named first-team all-state.⁠[2][3]

As a sophomore he passed for 2,062 yards and 20 touchdowns and ran for 714 yards and 14 touchdowns, earning second-team AP all-state honors at quarterback. As a junior he ran for 1,044 yards and 21 touchdowns and passed for 1,544 yards and 9 touchdowns, led Hampton High School to its 17th state championship, was named first-team all-state by the AP and the Virginia High School Coaches Association (VHSCA), and was the Daily Press Offensive Player of the Year.⁠[2]

As a senior he completed 85 of 164 passes for 1,538 yards, 15 touchdowns and 4 interceptions and ran for 788 yards and 21 touchdowns, for more than 2,300 total yards and 36 touchdowns. He was the 2006 Gatorade Player of the Year in Virginia, first-team AP all-state as a utility player and first-team VHSCA all-state at quarterback, and a PARADE All-American as an all-purpose player.⁠[2][3]

In recruiting rankings, Rivals rated him the nation’s No. 1 dual-threat quarterback; PrepStar ranked him the No. 6 quarterback, the ESPN 150 the No. 16 player, SuperPrep No. 20 overall and the No. 1 athlete (with another listing at No. 27 overall), and Scout the No. 4 quarterback, while the Roanoke Times, Rivals, SuperPrep and Scout all ranked him the No. 1 player in Virginia. He attended the 2006 Nike Elite 11 quarterbacks camp.⁠[2]

He enrolled at Virginia Tech and was slated to redshirt in 2007, but he was on the field by the second quarter of the LSU game and scored on a 1-yard run late in the first half. He was named the starter the following Monday and, in his first college start, against the Ohio Bobcats, completed 18 of 31 passes for 287 yards. He was the first true freshman to start at quarterback for Virginia Tech since Todd Greenwood in 1982.⁠[2][3]

He started five straight games until a high ankle sprain early in the second quarter at Duke kept him out of the next two; he ran for 118 yards at Clemson on October 6, and against Florida State on November 10 he completed 10 of 15 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 92 yards and a touchdown, earning ACC Rookie of the Week. In the ACC championship game against Boston College, he made a key 31-yard run on a fourth-quarter drive that put Virginia Tech ahead for good.⁠[2][3]

In 2007 he played in 11 games with five starts, completing 72 of 134 passes for 927 yards and 5 touchdowns, and ran 102 times for 429 yards and 6 touchdowns, second on the team in rushing. In the off-season he earned “Iron Hokie” recognition with a 40-inch vertical jump.⁠[2][3]

In 2008 he played in 12 games with 10 starts, completing 99 of 173 passes for 1,036 yards and 2 touchdowns, and ran 147 times for a career-high 738 yards and a career-best 7 touchdowns. At the Nebraska Cornhuskers on September 27 he passed for 171 yards and ran for 87 yards and a touchdown; against Virginia on November 29 he ran 16 times for a career-high 137 yards. In the Orange Bowl against Cincinnati on January 1 he completed 13 of 22 passes for 140 yards and ran for 47 yards and a touchdown, and Virginia Tech won.⁠[3]

In 2009 he started all 13 games, completing 136 of 243 passes with 13 touchdowns and 5 interceptions, and ran 106 times for 370 yards and 5 touchdowns, leading Virginia Tech to a 10–3 record and the Chick-fil-A Bowl. Against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on September 19 he led an 88-yard game-winning drive capped by an 11-yard touchdown pass to Dyrell Roberts with 21 seconds left; at Duke on October 3 he completed 17 of 22 passes for a career-high 327 yards; and at the Maryland Terrapins on November 14 he threw a career-high three touchdown passes.⁠[3]

In 2010 he started all 14 games and set career highs in every category: 188 of 315 passes for 2,743 yards, a school-record 24 touchdowns and 5 interceptions, and 146 carries for 659 yards and 5 touchdowns. He was named ACC Player of the Year, ACC Offensive Player of the Year and first-team All-ACC, and led Virginia Tech to the ACC title and an Orange Bowl berth. In the ACC championship game against Florida State on December 4 he completed 18 of 28 passes for 263 yards and three touchdowns, added a rushing touchdown and was named the game’s MVP.⁠[3]

Among his other games that season, he completed 15 of 22 passes for 186 yards and two touchdowns against Boise State on September 6, ran nine times for 127 yards and two touchdowns against the Central Michigan Chippewas on October 9, and completed 19 of 27 passes for 292 yards and three touchdowns, with a rushing touchdown, against Wake Forest on October 16.⁠[3]

In four seasons at Virginia Tech he played in 50 games with 42 starts and went 34–8 as a starter, helping the team to four bowl games and three ACC championship games. Over his college career he completed 495 of 865 passes for 7,017 yards, 44 touchdowns and 20 interceptions, and ran 501 times for 2,196 yards and 23 touchdowns; his 9,213 yards of total offense, his passing yards, and his rushing yards and rushing touchdowns as a quarterback all ranked first in school history. He played on three ACC championship teams there.⁠[3][5][6]

Virginia Tech’s College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences writes that he graduated from the college in 2010 with a degree in residential property management, while the Green Bay Packers roster biography says that he majored in apparel, housing and resource management. In college he had “BORN TO LOSE” tattooed on one bicep and “BUILT TO WIN” on the other; he said, “I felt like it kind of spoke about my life.”⁠[6][3][4]

Some analysts suggested he switch to wide receiver, an idea his family rejected; after his performance at the 2011 East-West Shrine Game, Dan Reeves, who had coached Michael Vick in Atlanta, defended his place at quarterback.⁠[4]

In the 2011 NFL Draft the Baltimore RavensBaltimore RavensThe Baltimore Ravens are an NFL professional American football team that began play in Baltimore in 1996. They play at M&T Bank Stadium. Named after Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “The Raven,” reflecting his connection with the city, the team won the Super Bowls concluding the 2000 and 2012 seasons.Open the full entry selected him in the sixth round, 180th overall, making him the first Virginia Tech quarterback drafted since Michael Vick went first overall in 2001. Ten quarterbacks had been taken before him, including Cam Newton, Andy Dalton, Jake Locker and Ryan Mallett. His family had rented a suite at the Embassy Suites in Hampton to celebrate the draft; his mother, Trina Taylor, was hurt on draft day, and he has since worn athletic tape marked “MOM” around his wrist as a reminder. He said, “I wanted to make people realize they shouldn’t have overlooked me.”⁠[3][4]

In four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens he backed up Joe Flacco and never started a game. In 2011 he played in three games, making his NFL debut with a 2-yard run at the Cleveland BrownsCleveland BrownsThe Cleveland Browns are an NFL professional American football team that began play in the AAFC in 1946 and joined the NFL in 1950. They won four AAFC and four NFL championships. After suspending play from 1996 through 1998, the franchise resumed in 1999 with its name, colors and history retained. Its current home is Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland.Open the full entry on December 4; at the San Diego Chargers on December 18 he replaced Joe Flacco late in the fourth quarter with the Ravens ahead 34–14 and, on third-and-13, completed his first NFL pass, an 18-yarder to Anquan Boldin.⁠[5][3]

In 2012 he played in seven games for the Ravens team that won Super Bowl XLVII, completing 17 of 29 passes for 179 yards with one interception and running 14 times for 73 yards and a touchdown. At the Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati BengalsThe Cincinnati Bengals are an NFL professional American football team founded under Paul Brown’s leadership. Awarded an AFL franchise in 1967, they began play in 1968. Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, the Bengals play at Paycor Stadium and won AFC championships in the 1981, 1988 and 2021 seasons.Open the full entry on December 30 he replaced Joe Flacco late in the first quarter, completed 15 of 25 passes for 149 yards and ran nine times for 65 yards, scoring his first NFL rushing touchdown early in the fourth quarter. In 2013 he played in three games and, against the New York JetsNew York JetsThe New York Jets are an NFL professional American football team in the AFC East. Awarded an AFL franchise in 1959, they began play as the New York Titans in 1960 and adopted their current name in 1963. Joe Namath led them to victory in Super Bowl III. Owned by Robert Wood Johnson, the Jets share MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with the Giants. Aaron Glenn became head coach in 2025.Open the full entry on November 24, caught a 6-yard pass from Joe Flacco, his first career reception; in 2014 he played in one game.⁠[3]

Over his four seasons with the Ravens he made 14 appearances, completing 19 of 35 passes for 199 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions, and ran 27 times for 136 yards and a touchdown. Jim Caldwell, the Ravens’ offensive coordinator in 2012–2013, praised his leadership and compared him to Ray Lewis and Peyton Manning.⁠[5][4]

In March 2015 he signed a three-year contract with the Buffalo Bills as a free agent.⁠[5]

On Monday, August 31, 2015, Bills head coach Rex Ryan named him the starting quarterback over EJ Manuel, the 2013 first-round pick, and Matt Cassel, a veteran acquired in a trade with the Minnesota VikingsMinnesota VikingsThe Minnesota Vikings are an NFL professional American football team awarded a franchise in 1960 and beginning play in 1961. An NFC North club, they won the 1969-season NFL championship and have appeared in four Super Bowls. A Wilf family-led ownership group owns the team, Kevin O’Connell is head coach, and U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is its home.Open the full entry. Two days earlier all three had played with the starting offense in a 43–19 preseason win over the Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh SteelersThe Pittsburgh Steelers are an NFL professional American football team founded by Arthur J. Rooney in 1933. They compete in the AFC North and play at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Originally called the Pirates, they adopted the Steelers name in 1940 and won six Super Bowls under Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin. Mike McCarthy became head coach in 2026.Open the full entry, in which he completed 12 of 13 passes for 122 yards and ran for a 20-yard touchdown; over 11 preseason series he completed 24 of 31 passes for 236 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions and had a hand in four touchdown drives, all finished on runs.⁠[5]

Rex Ryan said, “It came down to basically that explosiveness that Tyrod brings to us.” Taylor said, “And we can do special things on the offensive side of the ball.” The Associated PressAssociated PressThe Associated Press is a cooperative news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it is the oldest and largest news agency in the United States.Open the full entry story judged that the only knock against him had been his height, 6 feet 1 inch.⁠[5]

Against the Indianapolis ColtsIndianapolis ColtsThe Indianapolis Colts are an NFL professional American football team established in Baltimore in 1953 and relocated to Indianapolis in 1984. Winners of the 1958, 1959 and 1968 NFL championships and Super Bowls V and XLI, they play at Lucas Oil Stadium and are owned by the Irsay family.Open the full entry on September 13, 2015, he made his first NFL start, completing 14 of 19 passes for 195 yards; his 51-yard pass to Percy Harvin on the last play of the first quarter was his first NFL touchdown pass. That season he started all 14 games he played, completing 242 of 380 passes for a career-high 3,035 yards and a career-best 20 touchdowns with 6 interceptions and a 99.4 passer rating, and ran 104 times for 568 yards and 4 touchdowns, second among quarterbacks in rushing yards.⁠[3]

His 40.6 rushing yards per game led all quarterbacks, his 99.4 passer rating was the second-highest single-season mark in Bills history (minimum eight starts), and he missed two games through injury. He was selected for the 2015 Pro Bowl.⁠[7][3]

In other games that season he completed 21 of 29 passes for 277 yards and three touchdowns at the Miami DolphinsMiami DolphinsThe Miami Dolphins are an NFL professional American football team in the AFC East. Awarded an AFL franchise in 1965, they began play in 1966 and now use Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Under Don Shula, they won Super Bowls VII and VIII, including a 17–0 regular season and postseason in 1972. Stephen M. Ross owns the team, and Jeff Hafley is head coach.Open the full entry on September 27; completed 11 of 12 passes for 181 yards and a 146.5 rating against the Miami Dolphins on November 8; threw three touchdown passes and ran for an 8-yard touchdown against the Houston TexansHouston TexansThe Houston Texans are an NFL professional American football team awarded the league’s 32nd franchise in 1999 under Bob McNair’s leadership and beginning play in 2002. Based at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas, they compete in the AFC South. Cal McNair is principal owner and DeMeco Ryans is head coach.Open the full entry on December 6; and ran nine times for a career-high 79 yards at Washington on December 20.⁠[3]

Before the 2016 season the Bills announced that he had signed a contract extension, without releasing terms. A source of NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport put the deal at six years and $92 million plus incentives, with his 2016 salary of $9.5 million fully guaranteed and a team option for 2017 that, if exercised, would pay him $27.5 million that year, and up to $112 million over six years with all incentives; before it he had been due just over $1 million for 2016, the lowest average of any starting quarterback. A 2018 ESPN article describes the deal as a five-year extension.⁠[7][8]

On the extension he said, “Every year you have something to prove.” Bills general manager Doug Whaley called him “undeniably the leader of the Buffalo Bills.”⁠[7]

In 2016 he started 15 games, completing 269 of 436 passes for 3,023 yards, 17 touchdowns and 6 interceptions, and ran 95 times for a career-high 580 yards, the most of any NFL quarterback, and a career-best six rushing touchdowns, tied for most among quarterbacks.⁠[3]

Against the New York Jets on September 15 he passed for 297 yards and three touchdowns, including a career-long 84-yard touchdown to Marquise Goodwin and a 71-yard touchdown to Greg Salas; against the Arizona CardinalsArizona CardinalsThe Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team with roots in Chicago’s Morgan Athletic Club in 1898. A charter member of the league that became the NFL in 1920, the franchise has played in Chicago, St. Louis and Arizona. Its home is State Farm Stadium in Glendale.Open the full entry on September 25 he had a career-long 49-yard run and a 20-yard touchdown run; at the Seattle SeahawksSeattle SeahawksThe Seattle Seahawks are an NFL professional American football team in the NFC West, based at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington. Awarded a franchise in 1974, they began play in 1976 and won Super Bowls XLVIII and LX under Pete Carroll and Mike Macdonald respectively. The Khosla family became the controlling owner when its acquisition closed in September 2026.Open the full entry on November 7 he completed 27 of 38 passes for 289 yards; and against the Miami Dolphins on December 24 he completed 26 of 39 passes for a career-high 329 yards and three touchdowns without an interception and ran for 60 yards, the first quarterback in team history to that point with at least 325 passing yards and 60 rushing yards in a game.⁠[3]

In 2017 he accepted a renegotiated contract that removed its final three seasons and reduced his pay. In November 2017, after back-to-back losses to the New York Jets and the New Orleans SaintsNew Orleans SaintsThe New Orleans Saints are an NFL professional American football team in the NFC South, playing at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. Awarded a franchise in 1966, they began play in 1967. Sean Payton and Drew Brees led the club to victory in Super Bowl XLIV. Gayle Benson owns the team, and Kellen Moore has been head coach since 2025.Open the full entry in which the Bills were outscored 81–31, head coach Sean McDermott benched him for Nathan Peterman, a 2017 fifth-round pick, for a road game against the Los Angeles ChargersLos Angeles ChargersThe Los Angeles Chargers are an NFL professional American football team awarded an AFL franchise in 1959. They began play in Los Angeles in 1960, moved to San Diego in 1961 and returned to the Los Angeles area in 2017. Winners of the 1963 AFL title and the 1994-season AFC championship, they now play at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.Open the full entry, which Buffalo lost 54–24, with Nathan Peterman throwing five interceptions in the first half; Sean McDermott then returned the job to Taylor for the rest of the season.⁠[8][4]

In 2017 he played in 15 games with 14 starts, completing 263 of 420 passes for 2,799 yards, 14 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, and ran 84 times for 427 yards and 4 touchdowns. At the Miami Dolphins on December 31 he completed 19 of 27 passes for 204 yards and a touchdown as the Bills clinched their first playoff berth in 18 years, their first since 1999. The wild-card game against the Jacksonville JaguarsJacksonville JaguarsThe Jacksonville Jaguars are an NFL professional American football team awarded in 1993 and beginning play in 1995. An AFC South club owned by Shad Khan, they currently play at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. Stadium renovations will require a temporary move to Orlando for the 2027 season, with a return planned for 2028.Open the full entry was the only postseason game of his career; he started, completed 17 of 37 passes for 134 yards with an interception, and left in the fourth quarter with a concussion as the Bills lost.⁠[3][9][8]

He went 23–20 in 43 starts with the Bills from 2015, had the highest passer rating in team history among quarterbacks with at least one start (92.5), and his 1,575 rushing yards were the most by a Bills quarterback; his 65 combined touchdowns were the most by a Bills quarterback in his first three seasons and his 23 wins the second-most. In October 2017 he said in the Buffalo News that, as an African American, the criticism he faced was “always going to be twice as bad just because of who I am,” and that quarterbacks are held to a high standard; asked later about the remarks, he said, “Whether it’s fair or not, that’s not for me to say.”⁠[8][4]

On March 9, 2018, the Cleveland Browns agreed to acquire him from the Bills for a third-round pick, 65th overall. The Browns took on his one-year contract, with a $10 million base salary ($1 million fully guaranteed) and a $6 million roster bonus due March 16; the trade cleared about $10.44 million of 2018 cap space for the Bills. The same day the Browns acquired Jarvis Landry from the Miami Dolphins and traded quarterback DeShone Kizer to the Green Bay Packers.⁠[8]

General manager John Dorsey and head coach Hue Jackson believed he could turn around a team that had not won a game since Christmas Eve 2016; owner Jimmy Haslam said, “There’s no harder worker on our team than Tyrod Taylor,” and “He alone has set a different tone.”⁠[4]

He founded the Tyrod Taylor Foundation in 2018 to support young people in underserved communities through charitable giving and education. On July 21, 2018, a few days before the Browns’ training camp, he launched it with the first “T2 Community Day” in Hampton, which included a camp for 100 of the area’s top youth football players as well as carnival games, free haircuts, food and a raffle with prizes including bikes and his autographed Browns jerseys and helmets. He said, “I wanted to focus on launching the foundation.”⁠[3][10]

In August 2018 he was 29, the third-oldest player on the roster; during offseason workouts he introduced himself to each of his 89 new teammates, arrived at the team’s facility in Berea around 5:30 a.m. most mornings, and organized private workouts with Browns offensive players in Miami and Los Angeles. Asked whether he was merely a bridge to the rookie Baker Mayfield, he said, “I don’t view myself as a bridge quarterback. I’m a quarterback.”⁠[4]

In 2018 he played in four games for the Browns with three starts, completing 42 of 85 passes for 473 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, and running 16 times for 125 yards and a touchdown; against the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 9 he ran eight times for 77 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown, and at the New Orleans Saints on September 16 he completed 22 of 30 passes for 246 yards.⁠[3]

Against the New York Jets on Thursday, September 20, he completed 4 of 14 passes for 19 yards and was sacked four times before leaving with 1:42 left in the second quarter to be evaluated for a concussion; Baker Mayfield came in with the Browns trailing 14–0, and Cleveland won 21–17. On September 24 the Browns named Baker Mayfield the starter; Hue Jackson said Taylor “is right here, not going anywhere” and would be the backup once cleared from the concussion protocol; the Browns had signed him as a “bridge” quarterback until Baker Mayfield was ready.⁠[11][12]

In March 2019 he signed a two-year, $11 million contract with the Los Angeles Chargers with $6 million guaranteed in the first year, which the team then announced; he served as Philip Rivers’ backup. In 2019 he played in eight games, completing 4 of 6 passes for 33 yards and a touchdown; at the Jacksonville Jaguars on December 8 he relieved Philip Rivers early in the fourth quarter with the Chargers ahead 38–10 and threw a 14-yard touchdown to Virgil Green.⁠[13][3]

On September 13, 2020, he started the Chargers’ season opener, a 16–13 win at the Cincinnati Bengals, passing for 208 yards. That season he played in two games with one start, completing 16 of 30 passes for 208 yards.⁠[3]

He hurt his ribs in the opener. Before kickoff against the Kansas City ChiefsKansas City ChiefsThe Kansas City Chiefs are an NFL professional American football team that began AFL play in 1960 as Lamar Hunt’s Dallas Texans and moved to Kansas City in 1963. Based at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, the four-time Super Bowl champions are owned by the Hunt family and coached by Andy Reid.Open the full entry on September 20, team doctor David S. Gazzaniga accidentally punctured his lung while giving him a painkilling injection for fractured ribs; he went to hospital with difficulty breathing and was released that night. Head coach Anthony Lynn said he learned less than five minutes before kickoff that Taylor could not play; the rookie Justin Herbert started instead, and the Chargers lost 23–20 in overtime. The NFL Players Association then said it had been in contact with Taylor and his agent and had begun an investigation. He did not play again that season, and Justin Herbert kept the starting job.⁠[14][15]

He did not file a grievance at the time. In May 2021 he sued David S. Gazzaniga in Los Angeles County Superior Court for medical malpractice and for “medical battery,” on the ground that he “did not have proper and accurate informed consent prior to the anesthetic injections,” seeking at least $5 million. The Newport Orthopedic Institute, with which David Gazzaniga is affiliated, was originally also named as a defendant and was later dismissed from the case. The complaint said the procedure caused him to “lose position as the starting quarterback for the Los Angeles Chargers for the 2020 season,” put the pay gap between a starting and a backup quarterback at at least $5 million, and described “severe physical pain resulting in hospitalization, physical therapy, emotional distress and other past pain and suffering.” A trial originally set for November was postponed because of the NFL season: NBC Los Angeles wrote on September 18, 2022, that it had been moved to April, and ESPN wrote on September 20, 2022, that both sides had agreed to move it to June.⁠[16][17][15]

In 2021 he signed a one-year contract with the Houston Texans and started six games, going 2–4, completing 91 of 150 passes for 966 yards, 5 touchdowns and 5 interceptions, and running 19 times for 151 yards and 3 touchdowns. Against the Jacksonville Jaguars on September 12 he passed for 291 yards and two touchdowns in a 37–21 win; at the Cleveland Browns on September 19 he completed 10 of 11 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown and ran for a 15-yard touchdown; and against the New York Jets on November 28 he threw a 40-yard touchdown to Brandin Cooks.⁠[15][3]

In February 2022, during Super Bowl week, he took part in a panel on food insecurity in Los Angeles.⁠[6]

In March 2022 the New York GiantsNew York GiantsThe New York Giants are an NFL professional American football team founded in 1925 and competing in the NFC East. They have won eight league championships, including four Super Bowls, and have a long association with the Mara and Tisch families. The Giants share MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with the New York Jets. John Harbaugh became head coach in 2026.Open the full entry signed him to a two-year contract worth up to $17 million with $8.5 million guaranteed, his sixth team in a 12-year career. In 2022 he played in three games; against the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are an NFL professional American football team founded in 1933 and competing in the NFC East. Based at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, they won NFL championships in 1948, 1949 and 1960 and Super Bowls LII and LIX. Jeffrey Lurie purchased the franchise in 1994, and Nick Sirianni became head coach in 2021.Open the full entry on December 11 he replaced Daniel Jones in the fourth quarter with the Giants trailing 41–14, completed all five passes for 47 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown to Richie James Jr., and ran twice for 40 yards.⁠[15][6][3]

In August 2022 he was entering his 12th NFL season with a chance to win the starting job; he said, “Going into year 12 is truly a blessing.”⁠[6]

In 2023 he played in 11 games for the Giants with five starts, completing 116 of 180 passes for 1,341 yards, 5 touchdowns and 3 interceptions, and running 38 times for 197 yards. Against the Washington CommandersWashington CommandersThe Washington Commanders are an NFL professional American football team in the NFC East, representing the Washington metropolitan area and playing at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland. Founded in Boston in 1932, the franchise moved to Washington in 1937 and has won two pre-merger NFL championships and three Super Bowls. It adopted its current name in 2022, was acquired by a Josh Harris-led partnership in 2023 and appointed Dan Quinn head coach in 2024.Open the full entry on October 22 he completed 18 of 29 passes for 279 yards and two touchdowns without an interception; against the Los Angeles RamsLos Angeles RamsThe Los Angeles Rams are an NFL professional American football team in the NFC West. They joined the NFL in Cleveland in 1937, later played in Los Angeles and St. Louis, and returned to the Los Angeles area in 2016. Their current home is SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Owned by Stan Kroenke and coached by Sean McVay, the Rams won the 1945 and 1951 NFL titles and Super Bowls XXXIV and LVI.Open the full entry on December 31 he passed for 319 yards, the second-highest total of his career, including an 80-yard touchdown to Darius Slayton; and against the Philadelphia Eagles on January 7 he completed 23 of 32 passes for 297 yards.⁠[3]

On March 11, 2024, he agreed to terms with the New York Jets as Aaron Rodgers’ backup; NFL Network put the deal at two years and up to $18 million, while a photo caption in the Associated Press story described a one-year contract.⁠[18]

In 2024 he played in two games, completing 17 of 22 passes for 119 yards and three touchdowns without an interception: at the San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ersThe San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team that began play in 1946 and now competes in the NFL’s NFC West. Originally an AAFC member, the team joined the NFL in 1950 and won five Super Bowls under Bill Walsh and George Seifert. Its home is Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Kyle Shanahan has coached the team since 2017, and Jed York is its principal owner.Open the full entry on September 9 he finished the final drive for Aaron Rodgers with a 3-yard touchdown to Allen Lazard, and at the Buffalo Bills on December 29 he relieved Aaron Rodgers early in the fourth quarter with the Jets trailing 40–0 and threw touchdowns to Garrett Wilson and Tyler Conklin.⁠[3]

In 2025 he played in six games for the Jets with four starts, completing 80 of 134 passes for 779 yards, 5 touchdowns and 5 interceptions, and running 27 times for 143 yards and a touchdown. He started at the Tampa Bay BuccaneersTampa Bay BuccaneersThe Tampa Bay Buccaneers are an NFL professional American football team in the NFC South, playing at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. Awarded a franchise in 1974, they began play in 1976 and won Super Bowls XXXVII and LV. The Glazer family has owned the team since 1995, and Todd Bowles has been head coach since 2022.Open the full entry on September 21, completing 26 of 36 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns; starting against the Atlanta FalconsAtlanta FalconsThe Atlanta Falcons are an NFL professional American football team awarded a franchise in 1965 and beginning play in 1966. Founded by Rankin M. Smith and purchased by Arthur Blank in 2002, the team plays at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Its headquarters and practice facility are in Flowery Branch, Georgia.Open the full entry on November 30, he threw a 52-yard touchdown to Adonai Mitchell and tied the game 24–24 with a 10-yard touchdown run with 1:53 left, after which his 14-yard scramble and two passes to Adonai Mitchell set up Nick Folk’s 56-yard game-winning field goal as time expired.⁠[3][19]

He was named the United Way’s 2025 Hometown Hero, an honor given each year to a Jets player for outstanding community service.⁠[3]

On Monday, May 4, 2026, Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst announced that the team had signed him as a free agent and released quarterback Desmond Ridder; he took No. 6, and Kyle McCord moved to No. 18. No contract terms were announced. Green Bay needed a new backup after Malik Willis joined the Miami Dolphins on a three-year, $67.5 million deal with $45 million guaranteed; he and Kyle McCord became the two quarterbacks behind the starter, Jordan Love. He was three months from turning 37 and entering his 16th NFL season.⁠[9][19]

In May 2026 he and David Gazzaniga settled the lawsuit on undisclosed terms; an order filed by a court clerk states that Judge Alan B. Honeycutt of the Torrance Superior Court had received notice of the settlement.⁠[17]

As of November 2026 he is an active quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, wearing No. 6, at 6 feet 1 inch and 217 pounds, age 37, in his 16th NFL season; in 2026 he has played in one game without a start, with two carries for minus 2 yards.⁠[3][1]

When he joined the Packers on May 4, 2026, he had played in 100 regular-season games with 62 starts, completing 1,165 of 1,886 passes (61.8%) for 13,033 yards, 73 touchdowns and 34 interceptions with an 87.7 passer rating, and running 434 times for 2,424 yards and 20 touchdowns; with his 2026 appearance included, the totals are 101 games and 436 carries for 2,422 yards. He is the only quarterback in NFL history with more than 10,000 passing yards, more than 2,000 rushing yards, more than 70 touchdown passes, more than 20 rushing touchdowns and fewer than 35 interceptions, and he threw no more than one interception in 60 of his 62 starts.⁠[9][3]

In 2020 the Tyrod Taylor Foundation gave $25,000 to the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank in Hampton, and in the two years up to August 2022 it worked with KrogerKrogerThe Kroger Co. is an American supermarket operator founded in 1883 and headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, with supermarkets in 35 states and the District of Columbia. Its planned merger with Albertsons was terminated.Open the full entry and the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank on drive-thru food pantries at Bassette Elementary School and Hampton High School. He said of food insecurity, “It’s bigger than a lot of people realize.”⁠[6]

The foundation hands out turkeys before Thanksgiving at Darling Stadium in Hampton, beginning in 2019. At the sixth giveaway, in November 2024, it worked with Kroger’s Mid-Atlantic Division and Hampton High School football players to give out 400 frozen turkeys with side dishes; foundation director Redell Spinks said, “We want to make sure that no family goes hungry.” Taylor himself was absent because the season was under way.⁠[20][6]

In mid-April 2022, on a visit for Virginia Tech’s spring game, he announced a five-figure gift to The Market of Virginia Tech, a campus site that gives free groceries to students facing food insecurity, which was launched in 2020 with a $1.5 million gift from Hema and Mehul Sanghani. He said, “I think about it all the time, my college days and the friendships that were started a long time ago.”⁠[6]

As of November 2026 Queen Bee, a wellness-shot brand founded by the beekeeper Raina JainRaina JainRaina Jain is an American entrepreneur and inventor, the founder and chief executive of the wellness-shot company Queen Bee. While in high school she co-invented with her teacher HiveGuard, a beehive entrance that uses thymol against the Varroa mites that infest honeybee colonies, for which a U.S. patent was granted, and in 2022 she was selected for the Thiel Fellowship.Open the full entry, lists him as a co-founder on its website. The founder page states that Raina Jain founded Queen Bee, co-founded with the NFL quarterback Tyrod Taylor, to bring raw honey and royal jelly into daily wellness; the home page’s founders section, headed “An NFL quarterback and a high-school beekeeper,” describes him as a quarterback of fifteen seasons, a Super Bowl XLVII champion with the Baltimore Ravens and a 2015 Pro Bowl selection, and a photo caption of the two gives the location as New York.⁠[21][22]

Virginia Tech: Official website: https://www.vt.edu/ (opens in a new window).⁠[23]

Baltimore Ravens: Official website: https://www.baltimoreravens.com/ (opens in a new window).⁠[24]

Buffalo Bills: Official website: https://www.buffalobills.com/ (opens in a new window).⁠[25]

Cleveland Browns: Official website: https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/ (opens in a new window).⁠[4]

Los Angeles Chargers: Official website: https://www.chargers.com/ (opens in a new window).⁠[26]

Houston Texans: Official website: https://www.houstontexans.com/ (opens in a new window).⁠[27]

New York Giants: Official website: https://www.giants.com/ (opens in a new window).⁠[28]

New York Jets: Official website: https://www.newyorkjets.com/ (opens in a new window).⁠[29]

Green Bay Packers: Official website: https://www.packers.com/ (opens in a new window).⁠[3]

Queen Bee: Official website: https://www.the-queenbee.com/ (opens in a new window).⁠[22]