Jets reporter shares interesting Justin Fields, Garrett Wilson, C.J. Stroud stats

Almost immediately after the news broke that the New York Jets planned to replace Aaron Rodgers with former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields via free agency, some suggested that adding Fields to the roster could help the Jets sign wide receiver Garrett Wilson to a contract extension since the two were teammates at Ohio State.

Thus, it wasn't surprising when ESPN Jets reporter Rich Cimini shared on Sunday that "Wilson has told friends he's thrilled with the addition of Fields" after Wilson and Rodgers "didn't see eye to eye last season." However, Cimini also added some interesting stats regarding Wilson's production while catching passes thrown by Fields and by C.J. Stroud of the Houston Texans in college. 

"Wilson and Fields were teammates in 2019 and 2020, connecting on 66 receptions for 1,031 yards and nine touchdowns over 22 games," Cimini explained. "...They had a good thing in Columbus, Ohio, but it's worth noting that Wilson was more productive with C.J. Stroud as his quarterback -- 66 catches for 934 yards and 12 TDs in 10 games -- the following season. Numbers aside, Wilson has spoken glowingly about Fields' leadership, saying he galvanized the team during the COVID-shortened 2020 season." 

Fields certainly had supporters inside the Chicago Bears locker room during his stint with that organization that ran from 2021-23, but his inconsistent play as a pro caused both Chicago and Pittsburgh to deem him surplus to requirements. Meanwhile, Stroud earned Offensive Rookie of the Year Award honors for the 2023 campaign and seems the more likely of the two to become a true franchise player at the position. 

As for Wilson's relationship with Rodgers, the two had some animated conversations during training camp last summer before it was reported that Wilson could ask for a trade if the club brought the future Hall of Famer back for another season. More recently, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reported earlier in March that Rodgers "funneling targets to his closest friend on the team (Davante Adams)" during the 2024 campaign "didn’t go over well with some of his teammates." 

Wilson presumably was one of those teammates. 

Fields inked a two-year, $40M contract that included $30M guaranteed, which essentially makes him a lottery ticket for the Jets. How he and Wilson get along on Sundays this coming fall could go a long way in determining if they will still be teammates by the end of March 2026.