Sep 14, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields (7) practices before the game against the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Best and Worst-Case Scenarios For Jets’ Justin Fields

Originally posted on New York Jets on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Sep 14, 2025 7:00 PM ET

The New York Jets had a really rough day on Sunday.

First and foremost, the Jets dropped to 0-2 on the season. The Buffalo BIlls took down the Jets at MetLife Stadium, 30-10. The score itself isn't great, but it isn't as good as it looks for the Jets as well. New York got its lone touchdown when the game was out of reach with just a few minutes left to go in the fourth quarter.

The Jets got some brutal news before that as well. Jets starting quarterback Justin Fields was knocked out of the in the fourth quarter. He hit his head after being sacked and then was evaluated for a concussion.

It was revealed after the game that Fields does in fact have a concussion leaving his status for Week 3 already up in the air. ESPN's Rich Cimini shared the news on social media.

"Justin Fields has a concussion, per Jets. This now could impact his availability for next week," Cimini said.

With Fields getting a concussion, he now has five steps to work through before he can return to the field, per the NFL's concussion protocol. The five steps are: Symptom Limited Activity, Aerobic Exercise, Football-Specific Exercise, Club-Based Non-Contact Training Drills, and Full Football Activity/Clearance.

Here are the best and worst-case scenarios for Justin Fields:

The New York Jets lost Justin Fields to a concussion

BEST:
The best-case scenario is that the injury is very mild and the Jets were cautious due to the big deficit already that they were facing. No matter what, Fields has to work through the five-step protocol in order to return to the field. If the injury is mild, there is a chance that a person can work through it in one week, but the team needs to announce more details to know the exact details. But, best-case scenario would be Fields playing Week 3.

WORST:
Concussions are tricky injuries that recoveries vary per person. The league's return-to-play policy is detailed and strict. For Fields, the worst-case scenario would be a multi-week absence. The Jets are already 0-2 heading into a Week 3 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Week 4 matchup against the Miami Dolphins. Losing their starting quarterback for multiple weeks would obviously be the worst-case here. We will keep you up to date as information comes out.

This article first appeared on New York Jets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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