"I can be great.''
Those are four powerful words from freshly-minded New York Jets starting quarterback Justin Fields. And all the Jets need is ...
For them to come true.
Former Ohio State Buckeye standout Justin Fields inked a two-year, $40 million contract with the Jets this offseason to make the jump from the Pittsburgh Steelers, a move that reunites the athletic QB with his former college teammate and Jets star Garrett Wilson.
That is one reason for some optimism here. But ...
Fields was never able to put it all together with the Chicago Bears, who selected him with the No. 11 overall pick in 2021. He was dumped to the Steelers a year ago, and Fields experienced something of a reclamation year in Pittsburgh, going 4-2 as a starter before Russell Wilson became healthy enough to reclaim the starting spot.
But now?
With no clear competition for his starting role, Fields has the job ... and has high hopes for his first year as a Jet.
“I think I can be great,” Fields said this week. “That’s been the goal for me my whole life, my whole career. I think the sky’s the limit for this team, for this offense, but we do have a long way to go.”
OK, actually, that's a powerful six-word statement. But "I can be great'' needs to resonate here for a Jets franchise that in recent seasons has believed it has a talented roster ... and yet so rarely turns the corner.
Last year? A massive commitment was made to Aaron Rodgers and it resulted in a 5-12 season. To some degree, Fields has a low bar in the sense that it won't be all that hard to be more successful than Rodgers and that bunch.
And of course, he's not alone in the fight, with new head coach in Aaron Glenn also helping lead a change in direction.
But "desperation'' here is real. New York needs this to work.
If Fields can excel as the Jets' starting quarterback, it'd be a steal of a contract for the Jets. With just a $20 million salary, Fields will be one of the lowest-paid veteran starting quarterbacks in the NFL.
And it would be "great'' for that to pay off.