The New York Jets wrapped up their mandatory minicamp this week. The players and coaches will now break for the summer until training camp starts up next month. It’s still early and things can (and often do) change drastically after training camp, but there seems to be good reason for Jets fans to be excited for the 2025 season.
For one, many analysts around the NFL are picking second-year running back Braelon Allen to have a breakout year. Two-time All-Pro cornerback Ahmad Gardner is back and was recently selected by Pro Football Focus as the league’s top cornerback. And quarterback Justin Fields, who signed with the team just 3 months ago, appears to be taking on a leadership role within the offense.
These are all good developments, especially in regards to Justin Fields. As the quarterback, the team’s success or failure in 2025 will depend largely on how he performs. And while there’s plenty to be excited about, from his cannon of an arm to his electric touchdown runs, Jets fans have to brace for what could be a rollercoaster season.
Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports was in attendance for the Jets mandatory minicamp, and he offered Jets fans a ‘good news, bad news’ takeaway regarding their quarterback.
Two observations from two days of Jets' minicamp:
— Ralph Vacchiano (@RalphVacchiano) June 11, 2025
1. QB Justin Fields has a rocket arm and is capable of some impressive, precision passes. He may often follow those by sailing throws high and wide.
2. WR Garrett Wilson might get targeted 200 times in this offense this year. pic.twitter.com/8v9jLW3pT0
This should come as no great surprise to anyone who’s followed Fields’ career thus far, especially Bears and Steelers fans. There’s no denying the extraordinary talent possessed by Fields. He throws arguably the prettiest deep ball you’ll ever see, even with pressure in his face, and the threat he poses as a rushing quarterback is second only to Lamar Jackson.
But the consistency expected of franchise quarterbacks has just never been there. On one play, Fields will drop a 60-yard pass right into the receiver’s arms, just to come back on the very next snap and miss a wide open tight end six yards in front of him.
Hopefully, 2025 is the year when Fields finally puts it all together and he becomes the kind of franchise savior that many expected him to be, albeit not for the team that drafted him. But there’s a reason he’s on his third team in five years. Jets fans are free to hope for the best, but if Vacchiano’s reporting is accurate, they shouldn’t expect any miracles.