The New York Jets made Justin Fields their starting quarterback until further notice when they signed him to a two-year, $40M contract that included $30M guaranteed early in free agency.
During the Jets’ mandatory minicamp that was scheduled to wrap up on Thursday, numerous players spoke highly about what Fields has brought to the locker room and the practice field this spring.
“I know those guys want to fight for him,” Jets safety Tony Adams said about how his offensive teammates view Fields, as shared by Tom Rock of Newsday. “That’s the biggest thing. You have to get those guys ready to go to war for you. Those guys want to go to war for him. The personality? He’s laid-back, but you can tell he’s confident in his abilities. I love him. I love having him as a teammate.”
It’s no secret that Fields was quite popular in the Chicago Bears’ locker room during his tenure with the club that ran from the opening night of the 2021 draft up until he was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers in March 2024. NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated has repeatedly reported that “many” coaches and players wanted the Steelers to stick with Fields after he went 4-2 as Pittsburgh’s starter over the first six weeks of last season. Breer has also noted that “lots of those same folks wanted the staff to go back to [Fields] down the stretch” as the Steelers endured a five-game losing streak from Week 15 through the playoffs when Russell Wilson was their QB1.
“He’s real cool, calm, and collected, and he brings a sense of calm to the offense,” Jets running back Breece Hall said about Fields. “Seeing how he works and how diligent he is and how he cares, he is trying to build relationships with everybody, and how he goes about his business, it’s been fun so far.”
Such votes of confidence don’t erase the fact that numerous stats indicate Fields won’t prove to be a long-term answer at the sport’s most important position for the Jets. He won 10 of 38 starts with the Bears before they chose to replace him with Caleb Williams in the spring of 2024. More recently, well-respected Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin happily played Wilson over Fields through the bulk of last season before Pittsburgh didn’t make it worth Fields’ while to stick around.
Fields will have plenty of time to sink and/or swim in regular-season games beginning with New York’s Week 1 contest versus none other than the Steelers on Sept. 7. For now, individuals such as Jets offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand are impressed by how Fields embraced his role as a leader.
“There is just kind of a quiet confidence about him,” Engstrand said about Fields. “A little lead-by-example, but if you could be in the huddle, there’s some command there. He doesn’t have to be overly vocal or outlandish and over the top with his communication with guys . . . When something needs to be said, he’ll say it and they’ll listen.”
