Joy Taylor and Mason Taylor's GF Sage Wagner pose together in casual black & white outfits cheering for Jets TE's NFL debut vs. Steelers

Mason Taylor made his NFL debut with the New York Jets on Sunday afternoon. The rookie's aunt, television personality Joy Taylor, was on hand to help celebrate his big day.

Joy Taylor shared photos on her Instagram Story of the Week 1 matchup between the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers at MetLife Stadium. Amongst the photos was a selfie with Sage Wagner, Mason Taylor's girlfriend. Instead of representing the New York Jets' green color scheme, both ladies opted for a classic look.

Joy Taylor wore a black blazer while Sage Wagner opted for a white tank top for the opening day game.

Joy Taylor and Sage Wagner posing for a photo during Week 1 of the NFL season. (Photo via Joy Taylor's Instagram Story)

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Taylor had just one catch for 20 yards in his NFL debut. Despite an early lead, the New York Jets lost 34-32 to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Mason Taylor posed for photos with Aunt Joy Taylor after NFL debut

Mason Taylor started his NFL career on Sunday when he suited up for the New York Jets. The rookie tight end is following in his dad, Hall of Fame defensive end, Jason Taylor's footsteps. The elder Taylor played for the New York Jets later in his career in 2010.

After the game, Mason Taylor met with his family in attendance to watch his NFL debut. One of those was his aunt, Joy Taylor who shared a collage of photos on Instagram. She celebrated her nephew, whom she calls "Big Mase" and his first NFL game.

"Big Mase’s first game! @mason_taylor99 @nyjets 💪🏽💚"-Joy Taylor captioned the photo

The rookie tight end wore a white Nike shirt that he paired with gray and white camouflage pants. In the photo, Joy Taylor can be seen wearing an oversized black shirt that she paired with white pants and sneakers.

The tight end was drafted in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Taylor played collegiately at LSU for three seasons before deciding to forego his final year to pursue his NFL dreams. At LSU, Taylor played 38 games with a total of 129 catches for a total of 1,308 yards and six touchdowns.

About the author

Bethany Cohen is an NFL writer at Sportskeeda, with a rich prior 15-year experience in the sports writing industry, primarily covering the MLB and MiLB. She majored in Communications from the University of South Florida and has previously worked for top companies such as Examiner.com and Legends on Deck.

Bethany owes her NFL allegiance to the Pittsburgh Steelers owing to their long-standing tradition and competitiveness. She is a fan of old stalwarts such as Terry Bradshaw and Franco Harris and would love to watch them in the 1970s if she manages to get her hand on a time machine. She also acknowledges the greatness of modern icons like T.J. Watt for his desire to continuously improve despite being on top. She admires coaches Mike Tomlin and Andy Reid for their longevity and success.

The ace reporter credits her knowledge and love for the sport to be her biggest reporting strengths. Prior fact-checking is a big component of her process and she always scours through additional sources to ensure complete accuracy in her content.

Super Bowl XLIII, when the Steelers won the the grand prize after Santonio Holmes’ epic catch in the end zone with just seconds left on the clock is etched in Bethany’s memory forever. When she is free of her professional commitments, she likes to attend sports events and music concerts.

Know More

New York Jets Nation! Check out the latest Jets Schedule and dive into the New York Jets Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

Edited by Bethany Cohen