Quarterback Justin Fields signed a two-year deal with the New York Jets in March, but the way it was structured leaves the door open for the Jets to part ways after the 2025 season. It’s a fair way of doing business, considering Fields’ career thus far. While he’s still brimming with potential and absolutely could be the long-sought successor to Joe Namath, the lack of consistency he’s shown for two teams now leaves room for reasonable doubt.
That’s what led ESPN’s Dan Graziano to question Fields’ future in New York in a new article published this morning. Of Fields, Graziano writes: [The Jets] certainly haven't ruled out the idea that he can be their long-term starter at quarterback. He's still only 26 years old and has a unique combination of experience and upside. That said, the $10 million guaranteed money on his contract for 2026 won't stand in the way of the team drafting or acquiring someone it sees as a better option next spring if Fields doesn't play well enough to convince it otherwise.
Graziano has it exactly right. Jets fans are right to be excited about a potential future where Justin Fields finally becomes the franchise quarterback that the Chicago Bears thought they were getting when they selected him 11th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, but it’s far from a guarantee. For all the elite flashes, Fields also routinely missed on the bread-and-butter throws that starting NFL quarterbacks are expected to make.
The Jets know this, which is why they only guaranteed Fields $10 million in 2026, giving themselves the option to easily move on. But one has to wonder if there’s going to be better options available to them. Great quarterbacks don’t typically hit free agency or come available for trade, and the draft is a total guessing game, especially when concerning quarterbacks.
The good news is that so far there’s been nothing but good things said about Fields in OTA’s by his coaches and teammates. If they’re concerned about his development, they aren’t showing it.