New York Jets and former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields has shown the good and bad of his game at their OTAs, encapsulating the Fields that shows up each week.
Connor Hughes of SNY says Fields impressed in the early drills, showcasing his physical tools and zip to the middle of the field, a top trait he has in his game.
“All eyes were on Justin Fields. Understandably. Sure, he was in his underwear, as Glenn called it, but this was the first time to see the Jets’ new quarterback doing football-like things on a football field. The downside: There isn’t too much to talk about with him off Wednesday. He looked solid in the seven-on-seven portion of practice. There is undeniable zip on his passes. He had two highlights (one to Garrett Wilson, another to Allen Lazard) in the deeper middle portion of the field between a few defenders. Very pretty,” Hughes wrote.
However, Hughes says once things switched to a full team period, Fields struggled a bit more, with one notable miss that Hughes described as a ‘little alarming.’ Still, Hughes says that it was less about him and more about the offensive line blowing protections.
“The full-team period didn’t go nearly as well. That’s nothing against Fields. The Jets endured pretty consistent protection breakdowns. This Jets defensive scheme is much more active than Robert Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich’s. The front five had some issues diagnosing and picking it up. The defense sacked Fields on six of his 10 drop backs. Fields completed three of the other four. Two were dump-offs to Jeremy Ruckert. One was a short pass to Wilson. The miss was a little alarming," Hughes wrote.
Fields went 4-2 in his six games, which started in 2024 for the Steelers. Once Fields left, the Steelers instead pivoted to Aaron Rodgers as their bridge quarterback before they seemed to look to trade up in the 2026 NFL Draft for their future franchise guy.
Fields had just one turnover and ten touchdowns in those games, which was an impressive mark for Him, who had issues handling football during his time in Chicago.
Now, he will see the Steelers in Week 1, as they will travel to East Rutherford for a spirited clash to begin the season.