FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The Justin Fields experiment crashed before it ever took flight. The New York Jets bet big last offseason, handing the 26-year-old a two-year, $40 million contract to replace Aaron Rodgers. Nine games, 1,259 passing yards, and one brutal knee injury later, Gang Green is back to square one.
A Roster Decimated and an Offense Lost
The 2025 season was a certified disaster. The Jets limped to a 3-14 finish under head coach Aaron Glenn. Injuries gutted the roster, pulling down star receiver Garrett Wilson and fracturing any rhythm the offense managed to build. Fields simply struggled to move the chains. Former offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand tried to force the explosive dual-threat into a rigid pocket-passing scheme, and the results spoke for themselves. Fields averaged fewer than 140 passing yards per game before a knee injury sent him to Injured Reserve.
I stood on the sidelines during the Week 8 loss to Carolina when Glenn benched Fields at halftime. You could feel the freezing autumn wind suck the remaining hope right out of the building. Fans didn’t even boo; they just turned their backs and headed for the exits.
The suffocating pressure of New York hit hard. Earlier in the season, Fields openly admitted to breaking down in tears in his closet, relying on encouraging texts from his family to keep his spirit intact. He displayed incredible grit, taking hit after hit behind a porous offensive line, but grit alone doesn’t put points on the board.
“Tier 4: Borderline starters/high-end backups. Free agents: Jimmy Garoppolo, Rams; Aaron Rodgers, Steelers; Malik Willis, Packers. Potential cap casualties: Kirk Cousins, Falcons; Justin Fields, Jets; Geno Smith, Raiders. … With the Browns, Cardinals, Colts, Dolphins, Jets, Steelers and Vikings all potentially in the market for new starting quarterbacks this offseason, there should be at least one Week 1 starting job available for Cousins, Fields or Smith.”
— Bill Barnwell, ESPN
Playoff Implications / What’s Next
The NFL Scouting Combine kicks off today in Indianapolis. General Manager Darren Mougey and his revamped coaching staff hit the road this morning to evaluate the 2026 quarterback class. They hold the cards to a brutal financial reality. Retaining Fields gives newly hired offensive coordinator Frank Reich a talented piece of clay to mold. Cutting him forces a historic $22 million dead cap hit.
Reich built his reputation turning Carson Wentz into an MVP candidate and winning a Super Bowl with Nick Foles in Philadelphia. He knows how to scheme around a quarterback’s strengths. The Jets sit on roughly $70 million in available cap space. They possess the funds to swallow the dead money now, clear the books for 2027, and draft a rookie. But if Reich believes he can unlock Fields’ legs and push the ball downfield to Garrett Wilson, New York might just run it back. Expect Mougey to show his hand by the time the combine wraps up this weekend.
