ESPN Reveals Strong Take About Jets QB Justin Fields

After four uninspiring seasons, former Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Justin Fields now has a chance to prove himself with a brand-new team and situation. He spent the first three years of his career playing in a disastrous situation with the Chicago Bears, notably his 2022 campaign, when he was sacked a league-high 55 times behind one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL.

Last season, he saw a bit of a renaissance, playing backup to veteran and former Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Fields started the first six games of the year while Wilson nursed a calf injury and showed some of the promise that made him the 11th-overall pick out of Ohio State back in 2021.

In those six weeks, he logged 1,106 passing yards and five touchdowns to just one interception with a 66.3 percent completion rate, giving him a passer rating of 93.9. He also added another 231 yards and five touchdowns on the ground in that span. Despite his breakout performance and 4-2 record, the Steelers elected to bench him for Wilson anyway and let him walk in free agency this past offseason, when he signed with the New York Jets on a two-year, $40 million contract with $30 million guaranteed.

While going to the Meadowlands should give him his best opportunity to establish himself as a legitimate starter at the NFL level, it'll also bring on the most pressure and expectations for him so far in his career. ESPN's Ben Solak has high hopes for Fields with the Jets:

"Rather surprisingly, the Jets gave him a starter's deal and an unimpeded path to the QB1 job. The Jets are another candidate for our "even worse than the Bears at quarterback development" list, but it's a new staff in New York -- namely, head coach Aaron Glenn and offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand. Both came from Detroit, and Glenn in particular watched his defenses get ravaged by Fields' legs twice a season...

I won't be surprised if we see a 2022-like season for Fields. Back then, he posted 160 carries for 1,143 yards, the second most all time for a quarterback. If he can replicate that season with his legs, while getting more passing game help from Engstrand and Wilson than he ever got in Chicago, there just might be something there."

With the Buckeyes, Justin Fields was mostly able to tear defenses apart with his big arm, only using his legs in spots when necessary. So far in the NFL, it seems that maximizing his abilities as a dual-threat quarterback will be required for him to find consistent success. If the New York Jets and their new staff can do that, Fields could have a major breakout in the 2025 NFL season.