The New York Jets needed a new captain of the ship after the decision to move on from Aaron Rodgers was made.
The baton was passed to former first-round pick Justin Fields, who comes to the Jets on a two-year, $40 million deal to be tasked with steering this ship out of troubled waters.
The length of Fields' deal is interesting as it gives the Jets an easy exit after 2025 if it doesn't work. If Justin balls out, they have him for another year after that.
The offseason's work from the Jets has seen a host of "stars" in Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams, and C.J. Mosley be released, while Fields, Brandon Stephens, Andre Cisco, Josh Myers, and Stone Smartt are the "big" incomings.
But have the Jets gotten better? Pro Football Focus thinks the roster as it stands is the same, while stating that the franchise must now wait to see if Fields is "the" guy going forward.
"The Jets' priority this offseason was to replace the departing Aaron Rodgers. On paper, they've done by signing Justin Fields, who earned a 71.0 grade with the Steelers in 2024 before Russell Wilson took over the starting job," Pro Football Focus writes. "The test now will be to see if Fields can be the long-term answer for the Jets."
For Fields to get a proper shake at this, he needs help, with Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall the only "big" weapons at his disposal.
The draft is looming as the place where Fields could get his biggest and best weapon with tight end Tyler Warren being mocked to the franchise by several media outlets.
Related: Jets QB Situation 'Absolutely' Not Final With Justin Fields
Yes, the Jets' offseason business hasn't been one to get fans too excited, but there was quite a mess to clean up and, in truth, still is.
But it is slow and steady for a franchise in desperate need of quality leadership to get the roster in line, and with Fields now the figurehead, the tests he's about to undertake won't be for the faint-hearted.
Related: Jets Predicted to Reach For QB With No. 7 Pick
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This story was originally published March 27, 2025 at 6:46 AM.