The New York Jets just basically signed Justin Fields. They are all in on him being the team’s starting quarterback for 2023. Whatever happens, hope that the Jets are making this decision with the goal of creating a sensitive environment for Fields. He’s been through a stormy career as evidenced by his tenures with the Chicago Bears and the Pittsburgh Steelers. New York has brought in Fields on a two-year, $40 million pact. They feel with $30 million guaranteed that they’re prepared to present him the opportunity to prosper.
The Jets have taken significant steps to bolster their offensive lineup, making it clear that they trust Fields to lead the team. Their new draft strategy is a strong affirmation of this commitment. They spent the majority of their resources on bringing in new offensive talent. Among their first four draft picks, the Jets selected three offensive players, indicating a strong focus on surrounding Fields with effective skill positions. The Jets have added important pieces in free agency and the draft. Wide receiver Garrett Wilson and running back Breece Hall are two players prepared to take major roles within the team’s offensive system.
Fields has the tough task of learning a brand new system, making this the third different offensive scheme he’ll be learning in as many years. He had a rough start to yesteryear’s campaign, with a 6-26 W/L mark and 1.1 TO/G average over the first 32 starts of his career. He dramatically cut his mistakes down the stretch, posting an 8-4 mark with a .933 winning percentage during that 12-game stretch while averaging just 0.6 turnovers per contest. Chicago’s upward trend has given the Jets an enormous dose of optimism that Fields can maximize his potential.
Fields’ journey has not been without its challenges. It’s led to a scary high sack rate, getting brought down on 11% of his dropbacks. This puts him as the most sacked starting QB out of players with a minimum of 30 starts. This stat really makes you question his capacity to handle the heat and keep his cool when it matters most in the clutch.
The Jets’ unwillingness to draft a quarterback in the 2025 draft all but guarantees their commitment to Fields. Rather than drafting a new signal-caller, they’re betting on him the coming season. Their strategy indicates that they are focused on giving Fields an opportunity to prove himself before considering alternatives in the 2026 draft.
The franchise’s dedication to finally giving Fields the support he deserves has been widely reported as well. Glenn does understand that creating a strong offensive line will be key to Fields’ success. He repeated the need to get high-quality skill players in place around him.
“Listen, we want to surround Justin with good skill players, along with a good offensive line,” – Aaron Glenn
Glenn further doubled down on the big picture plan here, which is giving Fields every opportunity to become the best version of himself.
“So any time you can do that within any offense, with any quarterback, man, that’s an A-plus. So that’s the plan, it’s always been the plan.” – Aaron Glenn
Fields’ athleticism has garnered attention as well. Teammate Armand Membou shared in Arnaud’s enthusiasm at the prospect of forming a long-term partnership, alluding to some electric combination plays on their future teams together.
“I’m very athletic. So me, with an athletic quarterback, we’re going to be able to do some pretty fun things.” – Armand Membou
With the Jets heading into what looks like a more favorable season without him, the urgency is building on Fields to start producing on the field. Offensively, he’s got strong support in his corner. With that and the organization’s unambiguous long-term commitment, he can get his career back on track. Other ex-Jets scouts have publicly made the case against drafting Justin Fields. If he flops in the 2025 season, the organization could look to cut ties.
“At that point, what do you have to lose?” – Former Jets scout
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