Justin Fields remains in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons as the Jets move deeper into the season. The flashes of potential that once defined his game now compete with mounting doubts about his long-term future in New York.
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Nov 9, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields (7) is taken down by Cleveland Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger (49) in the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
The team’s investment of 20 million dollars for 2026 has turned into a debate over value versus vision.
Fields’ recent numbers revealmore concern than comfort. Against the Cleveland Browns hecompleted 6 of 11 passes for 54 yards with one interception and rushed seven times for 28 yards, which is slightly different from the 30 yards mentioned in the prompt.
His season-long Total QBR is around 35.7, which ranks near the bottom (30th of 33) among starting quarterbacks
One first down through the air summed up an afternoon that leaned heavily on defense and special teams to carry the Jets across the line.
The week before, a fortunate break kept Fields in the lineup. Tyrod Taylor’sknee injury forced coaches to stick with Fields after he had already been benched against Carolina.
Tyrod Taylor has been ruled out of Sunday’s Jets game with a knee injury, according to a source. He is not traveling to Cincinnati. Justin Fields will start at QB vs. Bengals. Full story: https://t.co/kZVeJ2DTZZ
— Brian Costello (@BrianCoz) October 25, 2025
The move paid off only in timing, as the Jets delivered two straight wins without leaning on quarterback play as the driving force.
Head coach Aaron Glenn’s weekly mystery over who starts under center has become more of a headline than a tactical move.
Good defenses know how to plan around uncertainty, and New York’s offensive rhythm still feels uneven. Glenn may frame it as gamesmanship, but opponents have not appeared confused.
The bigger question sits with general manager Darren Mougey, who now controls a pile of draft picks after trading Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner.
The team has clear direction on where those assets should go. Finding a long-term quarterback solution has become the only path forward if the Jets want stability.
Fields’ contract complicates that timeline. Half of his 20 million dollars salary is already guaranteed, and cutting him before mid-March would save only one million in cap space.
Trading him before June could open 11 million in relief, but there may be few takers for a quarterback needing a custom scheme built around a heavy run game.
The math and the tape both point toward separation. Unless Fields delivers a stunning turnaround in the season’s second half, New York is likely to move on during the winter and redirect resources toward the draft.
Justin Fields Stands Where a New Era Begins
While Fields’ situation dominates New York’s internal conversations, the broader quarterback situation is shifting. Two veterans who have each earned Super Bowl rings and nearly $400 million have again entered the discussion of possible retirement.
Both have flirted with stepping away before, and 2025 may finally mark the end of their journeys.
Neither has much left to prove, but both still chase the thrill that only competition provides. If they do decide to walk away, it would close a remarkable chapter for players who defined an era and reshaped what elite quarterback play looked like for over a decade.