Justin Fields

Jets Rule Out QB Justin Fields For Week 14

December 5th, 2025 at 1:44pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Jets ruled out quarterback Justin Fields due to knee soreness, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini.

Head coach Aaron Glenn said that Fields reported the issue on Wednesday. He was a limited practice participant on Thursday, but his knee did not respond well enough to play this weekend.

Fields began the season as the Jets’ starting quarterback but was demoted to the backup job after several disappointing performances. Tyrod Taylor has started the last two games and is expected to do so for the rest of the season.

With Fields sidelined, rookie Brady Cook will back up Taylor on Sunday. He has been elevated from the practice squad for the same role twice this season but has not played a snap. The undrafted free agent out of Missouri will likely use up his third elevation on Sunday. The Jets could also clear a spot on their 53-man roster and sign Cook from the practice squad.

This is the second injury to sideline Fields this year. He missed Week 3 with a concussion, but has otherwise stayed healthy enough to play.

His performance, however, has not been up to par for a starter. He is averaging just 139.9 passing yard, the third-lowest mark among qualified starters. He has protected the ball through the air with only one pick and a league-low 0.5% interception rate, but he also fumbled the ball four times.

Fields’ tenure in New York is poised to end after a disappointing debut year. The Jets have been willing to eat a massive amount of dead cap space in the last few years and could do so again with the $10MM in guarantees remaining on Fields’ deal. He will then look for a new team, but after two attempts as a reclamation project, he may not get another chance at a starter. At a minimum, he will likely need to fight for a starting job in training camp.

Jets GM Darren Mougey Has Scouted QBs Fernando Mendoza, Dante Moore In Person; Latest On Team’s 2026 QB Plans

November 30th, 2025 at 11:00pm CST by Rory Parks

If the season ended today, the 2-9 Jets would hold the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 draft. Even if they do not end up with that pick – and it is certainly feasible they lose enough games down the stretch to find themselves even higher on the draft board – they should be in prime position to select one of next year’s top quarterback prospects.

To that end, GM Darren Mougey has scouted Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Oregon’s Dante Moore in person, as ESPN’s Rich Cimini writes. Unfortunately for Mougey, the 2026 class of signal-callers, once viewed as a promising one, has seen its stock drop over the course of the 2025 season.

Mendoza has been among the most impressive collegiate QBs and is viewed by many as the top prospect likely to declare for the 2026 draft. Although the game that Mougey attended featured Mendoza leading a dramatic, game-winning drive against Penn State, opinions are split on his ceiling at the NFL level. Moore, meanwhile, is only 20 and could benefit from another year of development in the college ranks.

If players like Moore, South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, and Texas’ Arch Manning decide to stay in school for one more season, that will strengthen a 2027 class that is already set to include Florida’s DJ Lagway and Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola. We had heard one of the reasons Mougey was willing to accept a 2027 first-round pick from the Cowboys in this month’s Quinnen Williams trade was because of his belief that the ‘27 draft class offers more promise than its ‘26 counterpart. So, while the first-year GM is obviously doing his due diligence, he may wait another year to make a high-end draft investment in a QB (though Cimini says in a separate piece that there is “growing buzz” in league circles connecting Mendoza to the Jets).

Whether it is Mendoza or someone else, Cimini thinks the Jets will add a rookie QB in the 2026 draft, and he also believes Mougey will acquire a veteran passer. Despite the fact that Justin Fields’ 2026 salary includes $10MM in guaranteed money, Cimini indicates Mougey will likely release the recently-demoted signal-caller – which jibes with previous reports on the matter – and will not try to re-sign his replacement, Tyrod Taylor.

As per usual, the 2026 crop of free agents offers little by way of starting-caliber quarterbacks, and the one that does qualify as such, Daniel Jones, may not make it to free agency. Mougey could therefore look to the trade market to acquire a bridge passer, and Cimini names Kyler Murray, Mac Jones, and Kirk Cousins as potential targets (Murray and Jones, at least, could also be in the Vikings’ crosshairs).

UDFA rookie Brady Cook has spent most of the year on the Jets’ practice squad, though he has been elevated on several occasions to operate as a backup (he has not, however, seen any regular season game action). In response to a question about whether Cook would get into a game in 2025, head coach Aaron Glenn conceded it was a possibility, but he offered no guarantees.

Jets QB Justin Fields Anticipates Future Starting Opportunities

November 28th, 2025 at 10:32am CST by Adam La Rose

Justin Fields did not meet expectations during his tenure atop the depth chart with the Jets. The free agent addition was benched in favor of Tyrod Taylor for Week 12, casting doubt over his future in New York.

Fields has only thrown one interception through nine starts in 2025, although he has done so while averaging a career-low 6.2 yards per attempt and completing less than 63% of his passes. The 26-year-old has added 383 yards and four touchdowns on the ground, but that did not quell speculation about Taylor taking over weeks before he received the QB1 spot. In spite of that, Fields believes he will receive another look as an NFL starter.

“Of course. Yes, sir,” he said when speaking to the media for the first time since being demoted to backup duties (via ESPN’s Rich Cimini). “I mean, I just know who I am as a person, as a football player, as a hard worker. I think I know I have the mindset and the skill to attain that. I just feel like I need to do it on a more consistent basis, but that’s just what it is.”

Fields added he “did not anticipate it whatsoever” when asked about his benching. The Jets went 2-7 with him at the helm, and the former first-rounder led a passing attack which drew public criticism from owner Woody Johnson and currently ranks last in the NFL. The absence of wideout Garrett Wilson has played a role in New York’s struggles on that front, but Fields’ performances have certainly left plenty to be desired.

After being traded away by the Bears last offseason, an injury to Russell Wilson allowed Fields to serve as the Steelers’ starter for the first six weeks of the campaign. Pittsburgh went 4-2 in that period, but Wilson operated as the team’s QB1 the rest of the way. On the open market, Fields secured $30MM guaranteed on a two-year Jets contract, one which seemed to put him on track to spend at least one season atop the depth chart.

Instead, Taylor is expected to remain the Jets’ starter for the rest of the campaign. Especially if that proves to be the case, it will be interesting to see how things proceed between Fields and the team. The Ohio State product is owed $20MM in base salary for 2026, half of which is already guaranteed. As such, the possibility exists he could be retained as a backup behind a rookie added early in April’s draft. Fields declined to comment on that hypothetical situation.

Of course, there are plenty of unanswered questions at this point with respect to the 2026 QB market. Other openings will no doubt exist around the league, but it will be interesting to see if Fields receives serious consideration for a starting spot given how 2025 has played out.

Jets’ Benching Of QB Justin Fields Seen As Permanent

November 20th, 2025 at 9:26pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Jets’ benching of Justin Fields is “not expected to be temporary,” per ESPN’s Dan Graziano. Barring injury, Tyrod Taylor is slated to start for the rest of the 2025 season, and Fields is likely to leave New York this offseason.

The Jets believe it will be easier to evaluate their young pass-catchers – particularly rookie tight end Mason Taylor and wideouts John Metchie and Adonai Mitchell – with Tyrod Taylor under center. The 36-year-old quarterback is more willing to play within the structure of the offense as opposed to Fields, who is more liable to hold onto the ball, throw a check down to a running back, or take off on a scramble. Though Taylor has three interceptions in 69 attempts compared to Fields’ one in 204 attempts, the Jets are willing to weather the risk of interception in exchange for more opportunities for their skill players.

The team is also planning to find a new quarterback this offseason, whether it be a rookie draft pick or another veteran acquisition. The draft from the Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams trades has given New York enough draft capital to land nearly any available passer in the offseason.

The Jets are also expected to part ways with Fields after the 2025 season concludes. $10MM of his $20MM salary in 2026 is guaranteed; between that and his poor performance, he is unlikely to draw trade interest and will likely be released as a post-June 1 cut. That would save $10MM against the Jets’ 2026 salary cap with a $13MM dead cap charge with another $9MM of dead money in 2027. However, the team has more than $70MM of dead money to account for next year, per OverTheCap, including $35MM from Aaron Rodgers, $11MM from Gardner, and $9.8MM from Williams. The Jets may prefer to push as much dead cap from Fields’ deal into 2027.

They could do so by converting his remaining guaranteed salary into a signing bonus and prorating it across the remainder of his contract. The Jets’ 2026 savings would stay at $10MM, but only $5MM of Fields’ dead money would hit with the remaining $17MM being pushed to 2027. Fields’ deal already has four void years built in, suggesting that the team wanted to have this contract option in case 2025 went poorly, which it did.

The first three void years were used to prorate his signing bonus, while the fourth was left empty in case of a 2026 restructure. Adding a void year to a contract, even for purposes of a restructure, requires player consent, which Fields may not give. Instead, general manager Darren Mougey designed his deal to ensure that the Jets had more flexibility after the 2025 season.

It almost feels like Mougey and new head coach Aaron Glenn saw 2025 as a reset year in New York. They took a chance on Fields without too hefty of a commitment; once it became clear that he was not the Jets’ long-term quarterback, they pivoted to blow up the core of their roster. Now, they have enough draft capital to acquire a quarterback and the opportunity to complete rebuild the Jets from the ground up.

Jets Bench QB Justin Fields; Tyrod Taylor To Start In Week 12

November 19th, 2025 at 12:45pm CST by Connor Byrne

NOVEMBER 19: Glenn confirmed on Wednesday that Taylor, not Fields, would start in Baltimore on Sunday.

When asked why he made the call, Glenn responded, “Because I wanted to,” per ESPN’s Rich Cimini. While he may be continuing a somewhat adversarial relationship with the New York press corps, he may also be signaling that he, not notoriously meddlesome owner Woody Johnson, made the decision to bench Fields for Taylor.

NOVEMBER 17: The Jets are making a change at quarterback. Tyrod Taylor will start over Justin Fields in Week 12 against the Ravens, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports.

The Jets signed Fields, previously with the Bears and Steelers, to a two-year, $40MM contract last offseason. The former first-round pick got off to a solid start in a Week 1 loss to the Steelers, but his production has nosedived since then.

Owner Woody Johnson publicly criticized Fields’ performance after a Week 7 loss to the Panthers. Expectations were that Taylor would take over in the wake of Johnson’s scathing remarks, but a knee injury temporarily prevented that from happening.

At 0-7 when Johnson called out Fields, the Jets proceeded to win back-to-back games. Fields threw for 244 yards in a 39-38 victory over the Bengals. He managed just 54 in a 27-20 win over the Browns the next week, though a tremendous special teams showing helped make up for it.

Even though Fields finally strung together a couple of wins, last Thursday’s outing was enough to convince first-year head coach Aaron Glenn to go in another direction. In a 27-14 loss to the AFC East rival Patriots, Fields went 15 of 26 for 116 yards and a touchdown. As has typically been the case, the mobile Fields was more impressive on the ground, totaling 67 yards and a TD on 11 rushes.

Fields will head to the bench with a 62.7% completion rate, 1,259 yards (6.2 YPA), seven TDs, and an interception through nine games. He has added 383 more yards (5.4 per carry) and four TDs as a runner, but his 37.7 QBR ranks 30th in the NFL. The Jets are last in the league in passing and 25th in scoring.

Regardless of whether Fields plays again this year, the Jets will have to determine his future in the offseason. He’s owed a guaranteed $10MM in 2026, and releasing him would add $22MM in dead cap. They’re already on the hook for $35MM in dead money for next year after releasing Fields’ predecessor, Aaron Rodgers, last offseason.

Now that he’s taking over for Fields, Taylor will face the Ravens 14 years after he began his career with them as a 2011 sixth-round pick from Virginia Tech. The 36-year-old has appeared in games with six other teams since then. Taylor made one start earlier this year, a Week 3 loss to the Buccaneers, while filling in for an injured Fields. He has completed 62.3% of passes for 379 yards, three TDs, and three INTs in three appearances this season.

Jets Considering QB Change?

November 14th, 2025 at 5:16pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Jets quarterback Justin Fields appeared headed for the bench when he was pulled at halftime of New York’s loss to the Panthers in Week 7.

Veteran backup Tyrod Taylor finished the game and was expected to start the following week, but those plans were interrupted by a knee injury. Fields started in Week 8 instead and put up one of his best performances of the year. He threw for 244 passing yards anHis 244 passing yards were his second-highest total of the season and the Jets’ 39 points were a season-high. Crucially, Fields did not throw an interception, fumble the football, or take a single sack.

In the two games since, Fields has completed just 21 of his 37 passing attempts (56.7%) for 170 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. He also took five sacks and fumbled once while adding 95 rushing yards on 18 carries. The Jets scored 27 points despite an especially rough game in Week 10, but they could only manage 14 points against the Patriots on Thursday.

Those struggles have led head coach Aaron Glenn to reconsider his starting quarterback selection. When asked about a potential change under center on Friday, he said that he was “evaluating everything.” Glenn also acknowledged that Fields’ recent performance was not up to NFL standards; the fifth-year quarterback essentially admitted the same, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini.

“Obviously, we have to do a better job in the passing game and that has a lot to do with Justin getting the ball to the right guys,” Glenn said.

Taylor is healthy now, so he would be the Jets’ starter if Fields is benched. Glenn described the decision as “really a short-term deal,” indicating that he is less concerned about the team’s long-term quarterback plans than with their success for the rest of the season.

“Whatever that the evaluation process come out to, just know that the reason why I make the decision that I make, it gives us the best chance to win,” Glenn added.

Jets QB Justin Fields To Start In Week 10

November 9th, 2025 at 10:04am CST by Rory Parks

It appears Justin Fields’ respectable showing in the Jets’ narrow victory over the Bengals in Week 8 – their first win of the season – bought him a little extra time as New York’s QB1. The team had a Week 9 bye, and although head coach Aaron Glenn held off on an official announcement, ESPN’s Adam Schefter says Fields will get the nod against the Browns in Week 10.

At halftime of a Week 7 loss to the Panthers, Glenn benched Fields in favor of veteran Tyrod Taylor. Taylor did not fare any better than his younger counterpart, but the Jets did plan to have him start their Week 8 contest against Cincinnati (owner Woody Johnson publicly criticized Fields after the Carolina game, which further underscored Taylor’s expected promotion).

Unfortunately for Taylor, a knee injury prevented him from playing in that game. Fields went on to post a 99.0 quarterback rating – against an admittedly poor Bengals defense – and completed 21 of 32 passes for 244 yards and a score in the victory. He also rushed 11 times for 31 yards.

It will not be any easier for the Jets to win games after the trade deadline, as defensive cornerstones Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams have been dealt elsewhere in exchange for future draft capital. The club is clearly in rebuild mode, and while it appears Fields is unlikely to consistently live up to his potential as a former first-round pick, it makes sense for New York to continue evaluating him rather than asking the 36-year-old Taylor to play out the string.

After all, $10MM of Fields 2026 salary is already guaranteed, and a pre-June 1 release this offseason would create a $22MM dead money charge at a time when Aaron Rodgers will already be accounting for $35MM of dead money. The fact that Fields seems destined to be on the Jets’ 2026 iteration anyway further supports the notion that they might as well keep giving him opportunities.

He will at least have a new receiver to work with (eventually, anyway). As part of the Gardner deal, New York acquired 2024 second-rounder Adonai Mitchell, who had been buried on the Colts’ depth chart. Mitchell, however, is inactive for Week 10.

Top wideout Garrett Wilson is expected back in Week 10 after missing the prior two games due to a knee ailment.

Jets’ Justin Fields Could Draw Trade Interest?

October 28th, 2025 at 2:32pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Justin Fields‘ Week 7 benching could be an early sign that he doesn’t have a long-term future in New York, according to Jason La Canfora of The Washington Post.

Fields signed a two-year, $40MM deal to join the Jets this offseason as the starting quarterback under new head coach Aaron Glenn. The fifth-year quarterback has made seven starts this year that fall into one of two buckets: good enough to win a game, and bad enough to impede such an effort. Some around the league believe Fields has been let down by iffy coaching, per La Canfora, who floats the trade notion after the QB was seemingly set to be benched ahead of Week 8.

Weeks 1, 4 and 5 fell into the former categories, while Weeks 2, 6, and 7 were in the latter. In Week 2, Fields was knocked out of the game with a concussion, and in Week 7, he was benched for backup Tyrod Taylor. The commonality between all of those games? The Jets lost them.

Taylor appeared to be the starter moving forward after Fields’ benching last week, but a shoulder injury sidelined the veteran for Week 8. That gave Fields another starting nod, and he let the Jets to their first win and highest point total of the season.

However, recent comments from Jets owner Woody Johnson indicate that he has already soured on his young quarterback, which has stirred speculation that Fields could be on his way out of New York sooner than expected. With quarterbacks around the league dropping like flies, a team might be desperate enough to try to acquire Fields even though he was just signed this offseason.

However, $10MM of Fields’ 2026 salary is guaranteed, and his release would add $22MM in dead money to the Jets’ salary cap next year. They already have $35MM of dead money remaining from Rodgers’ contract, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini, and would likely have to punt on Glenn’s second year in charge as they sort out their quarterback situation. Glenn himself may not be content with that decision – especially considering the relatively shorter leashes for minority coaches in the NFL – which may give Fields another chance to prove himself next year.

Taylor might need to show he is healthy before the Jets consider making a seismic move like trading Fields. Johnson’s comments notwithstanding, the team made a commitment to him. Bailing now would send a bad message, even if Glenn was preparing to bench his starter after Week 7. The Jets would also need to add QB help in that event, with only two passers on the active roster. Rookie UDFA Brady Cook (Missouri) is on Gang Green’s practice squad.

Justin Fields To Start Week 8; Tyrod Taylor Out With Knee Injury

October 25th, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Connor Byrne

With the Jets off to a league-worst 0-7 start, owner Woody Johnson made it known on Tuesday that he was unhappy with quarterback Justin Fields‘ performance. Johnson’s scathing remarks may have helped pave the way for a QB change this week, but he’ll have to wait at least one more game.

The Jets have ruled backup Tyrod Taylor out for Week 8 against the Bengals with a knee injury, Brian Costello of the New York Post reports. Fields will start in Cincinnati, while undrafted rookie Brady Cook will serve as his backup.

Fields has yet to throw an interception this season, the first of a two-year, $40MM contract, but the former Bear and Steeler has been at the helm of an offense that has averaged just 18.4 points per game. He has combined for seven touchdowns (four passing, three rushing) and completed 63.7% of passes for 845 yards.

As always, Fields has been a threat on the ground, having racked up 257 yards on 42 rushing attempts (6.1 yards per carry). That hasn’t been enough to produce a Jets victory in 2025.

With their offense unable to generate much in a 13-6 loss to the Panthers last week, rookie head coach Aaron Glenn pulled Fields in favor of Taylor. He hardly lit it up (10 of 22 for 126 yards and two picks), but the Jets were nonetheless expected to turn to Taylor on Sunday.

Glenn appeared likely to make his QB decision public closer to game time, but Taylor’s injury has forced the Jets’ hand early. Taylor, who was limited in practice all week, said he suffered the injury on “a helmet shot to the knee last game.” The 36-year-old underwent arthroscopic surgery on the same knee in August, which sidelined him for the entire preseason.

Barring a stellar performance from Fields in Week 8, and depending on the severity of Taylor’s injury, Glenn will likely face the same questions about the QB position after Sunday’s game. With the Jets on a bye next week, he’ll have extra time to make a decision on a starter for their game against the Browns on Nov. 9.

Jets Expected To Make Change At QB

October 24th, 2025 at 10:09pm CST by Ely Allen

After Jets owner Woody Johnson made remarks following the team’s latest loss criticizing the play of starting quarterback Justin Fields, there was plenty of speculation that the team could be close to demoting him from his starting role. According to the latest from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, most people believe that veteran Tyrod Taylor will be starting for New York this weekend.

Fields’ boom or bust performances this season have been dramatic in their dichotomy. In three strong performances, Fields has averaged 294 yards and three touchdowns when combining passing and rushing stats. In three poor performances, two of which contained early exits, Fields has averaged 73 combined yards with no scores.

Fields has done an impressive job of limiting turnovers — something he’s struggled with in the past — despite being on pace to get sacked a career-high number of times this season. He’s yet to throw an interception but has lost two of three fumbles. The most important stat — the one that has team ownership taking shots at him to reporters — is that over six starts to open the season, Fields has yet to win a game with the Green & White.

To be fair, neither has Taylor. In his lone start and in the times he’s spelled Fields after early exits, Taylor hasn’t seen much more success than Fields. But he also hasn’t been working with the first-team offense, something that changed this week as the two split reps on the first team. Taylor has seen more success than Fields elsewhere in his career, though.

While Fields career outside of a six-game run as an injury replacement for the Steelers has seen losing stints with the Bears and Jets, Taylor has seen winning campaigns — and even a Pro Bowl campaign — in his years of experience. The only problem is that this came during his three-year stretch with the Bills — the only years in which he was ever a full-time starter — that took place eight years ago.

At this point, it’s difficult to say which passer gives New York the best chance at earning its first win: the obviously struggling Fields or the 36-year-old Taylor. In fact, nothing has been announced as to who will start for Gang Green this weekend. Rapoport posits that rookie head coach Aaron Glenn is, perhaps, purposely shrouding what his decision will be on Sunday, in order to give his opponents as little information to prepare with as possible as he seeks any advantage in an attempt to win for the first time as an NFL head coach.

It looks like Glenn will keep his cards close to the chest, making this a game-time decision. Rapoport has called out the first-year coach’s poker face, though, voicing many people’s belief that Taylor will replace Fields as the starter on Sunday.

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