The Jets took a big gamble on Fields turning his NFL career around after failing to breakthrough with the Bears and Steelers. Have they already moved on?
Is this the end for Justin Fields?
The ex-Ohio State star, who was selected 11th overall by the Chicago Bears in the 2021 NFL Draft, was sat down by New York Jets coach Aaron Glenn at halftime of Sunday’s 13-6 home loss to the Carolina Panthers.
Like he’s done for stretches throughout his five years in the league, Fields had displayed glimpses of greatness in his Jets debut when he racked up 266 total yards and three total touchdowns in a 34-32 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 7.
Though he missed part of Week 2 and all of Week 3 due to a concussion, Fields’ numbers weren’t bad through the first five weeks on the surface. In those three starts, he averaged 242.3 passing yards with four TDs and no picks. He added 155 rushing yards and three more TDs.
But the advanced stats revealed reasons for concern.
Heading into Week 7, Fields had the second-lowest well-thrown percentage (75.4%) among the 30 quarterbacks with at least 100 adjusted attempts (no throwaways or spikes) despite also having the third-lowest air yards per attempt (6.92). So Fields hasn’t just been inaccurate, but he’s been missing on easy throws with a check-down percentage that’s also the second highest in the league (16.9%) behind only Jordan Love of the Green Bay Packers (17.6%).
worst well thrown percentage
And it’s really not a matter of his wide receivers not getting open for him. The Jets ranked 11th in the NFL with a 78.7% open rate heading into the weekend, while Fields has had a 78.0% open-target rate that’s the league’s 10th highest.
So things took an ugly turn when Fields went an abysmal 9 for 17 for 45 yards in a 13-11 home loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 6. Then he completed 6-of-12 passes for 46 yards and was sacked three times before getting replaced by Tyrod Taylor in Sunday’s 13-6 loss that dropped the Jets to 0-7 for the first time since 2020 and only the second time since 1996.
"As a competitor you always want to start, but that's not my decision. … I'll be ready for the opportunity, but I'm also here to support Justin [Fields]. I have a lot of respect for him and every guy in this locker room." pic.twitter.com/NTVaxpfyyS
— New York Jets (@nyjets) October 19, 2025
Fields’ combined 91 passing yards and 3.14 yards per attempt since Week 6 are easily the fewest in the NFL among those with at least 29 attempts. He’s taken 12 sacks in that time – second only to Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars – and his 58.3 passer rating is only ahead of Tua Tagovailoa’s 41.7 mark across his 55 attempts for the Miami Dolphins. (Tagovailoa was also sent to the bench in Miami’s 31-6 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.)
Is this the last we’ve seen of Fields as a starter? Though he is on his third team in five years, a permanent change would be surprising since the Jets took a big gamble on Fields turning his career around after failing to breakthrough with the Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers.
They inked him to a two-year, $40 million contract that includes $30 million guaranteed in March 2025 after opting to move on from Aaron Rodgers. And it’s unusual that a franchise makes such a move so quickly, as the front office doesn’t want to admit a massive mistake.
Another factor: Taylor hasn’t exactly lit it up. He completed 10-of-22 passes for 126 yards with two interceptions after replacing Fields in the second half on Sunday. He’s completed just 62.3% of his attempts with three touchdowns and three picks in his three appearances.
Overall, Taylor’s 5.49 yards per attempt and 73.7 passer rating are worse than Fields’ 6.26 yards per attempt and 91.1 passer rating.
It’s certainly conceivable that coach Aaron Glenn will announce that Fields will get another shot in Week 8 or say that he’s going to reassess the situation ahead of the team’s road game against the rejuvenated Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. He had defended the signal caller after last week’s loss in London, calling it “one bad game.”
Either way, the clock is ticking for the once-promising dual-threat QB.
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