Justin Fields has never been the most outspoken quarterback in the NFL since he was taken in the first round of the 2021 draft by the Chicago Bears.
Despite struggles throughout the early stages of his career, the New York Jets believed in his ability so much that they were willing to give him a two-year deal with $30 million guaranteed to be their starting quarterback.
No quarterback competition. Just Fields.
Through the early portion of the Jets’ offseason, Aaron Glenn is already thrilled with a certain aspect of what Fields brings to the table.
Glenn Thrilled With Justin Fields
Despite a 14-30 record as a starting quarterback, Fields has improved his completion percentage and passer rating in each of the past three seasons. Although he is at his third NFL stop, the Ohio State product believes he can be the right man for the job in New York.
That “quiet confidence” is something Glenn has enjoyed early on in their partnership.
“There’s a quiet confidence about that man that’s unshakable, and even though he’s not the most vocal person, he’s active with his body language,” Glenn said following the completion of rookie minicamp this weekend. “He’s active with his one-on-one conversations. If he has to stand in front of the guys and say something, he will.
“So I’m very happy with where he’s at, and I’m actually happy with actually all the quarterbacks that we have in this program right now, and I know they’re going
to push each other to be better.”
The problem with Fields has never been his leadership abilities, though. Both the Bears and Steelers complimented his leadership.
The issue is Fields’ consistency as a passer, especially in the game’s most important moments.
Fields has completed just 56.1% of his passes in the fourth quarter throughout his career, the worst in the NFL among quarterbacks with at least 200 fourth-quarter pass attempts over that span. Despite his improved completion percentage in 2024, his teams have never averaged more than 22 points per game with him as the starting quarterback (the league average in points per game in 2024 was 22.9).
Even when he was 4-2 as a starter with the Steelers last season, Fields wasn’t good enough to hang on to the starting spot. He was benched midseason when a healthy Russell Wilson returned to guide Pittsburgh to the playoffs.
In New York, Fields is surrounded by a team that believes in his potential. He has earned the respect as the starter moving forward.
If he wants to keep that job, though, he’ll need to do something he hasn’t been able to do since he was first drafted: Win while throwing the football.
