The New York Jets are 0-7 and are widely viewed as sure-fire sellers heading into the NFL trade deadline, but while running back Breece Hall and cornerback Michael Carter II are the obvious names that could be on the move, a more surprising player could emerge as a potential trade candidate: quarterback Justin Fields.
The Jets signed Fields to a two-year contract in free agency, but the decision has been nothing short of an unmitigated disaster, as head coach Aaron Glenn benched Fields in favor of Tyrod Taylor last Sunday.
Gilbert Manzano of Sports Illustrated outlined New York’s potential strategy before Nov. 4, and he feels that Fields could generate some interest.
“Outside of Hall and the untouchable players, there's not much to like on this Jets' roster. Maybe there's a possibility of a team being interested in quarterback Justin Fields, who was benched for Tyrod Taylor last week,” Manzano wrote.
Who exactly would be interested in Fields right now, though? Perhaps there is a team out there that would be willing to utilize Fields in certain packages, because it seems hard to imagine that anyone would want to employ him as their starting quarterback at the moment.
Fields has yet to throw an interception this year, but he has gone just 15-for-29 with 91 yards over his last couple of games while being sacked 12 times during that span.
The 26-year-old was originally selected by the Chicago Bears with the 11th overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. He spent three seasons with the Bears before Chicago gave up on the Ohio State product, deciding to trade Fields and then select Caleb Williams in the 2024 draft.
Fields made his way to the Pittsburgh Steelers for one year, where he started the first six games of the campaign with Russell Wilson nursing a calf injury. Once Wilson returned, Fields was relegated to a backup role.
It’s becoming increasingly likely that Fields will never actually develop into a legitimate starting quarterback for a contending team, but his athleticism could be enticing to potential trade suitors.
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