The vibe around the New York Jets right now is exciting, despite the team coming off a 5-12 season in 2024, and that’s due to the major changes this team made in the offseason. The Jets landed one of the NFL’s top head coaching candidates when they hired former Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, and they replaced the aging Aaron Rodgers with 26-year-old Justin Fields.
Fields has still yet to prove himself as the kind of franchise quarterback he was expected to be when he was drafted 11th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, but he’s flashed enough potential over four seasons to have fans believe that he can finally have a breakout year and propel the Jets into the playoffs.
But if Fields is going to do that, he’s going to need solid protection up front, particularly right up the middle. Fields like to hold the ball longer than most quarterbacks while he looks for the big, explosive play downfield. As does Patrick Mahomes, for what that’s worth. That’s gotten him into trouble in the past, particularly when he played behind a dreadful Chicago Bears O-line.
With the Jets, however, Fields shouldn’t often see his center or guards get pushed into his lap. Pro Football Focus has released their annual position rankings for of these positions ahead of the 2025 season, and all three of New York’s starters land in the Top 21.
Joe Tippmann is coming off of a mini-breakout season of his own in 2024 and was rewarded with the 11th place in PFF’s center rankings. As for the guards, Alijah Vera-Tucker was also ranked at 11th overall while his partner John Simpson, entering his second season with the Jets, was ranked 21st.
This O-line will not be mistaken for the Philadelphia Eagles anytime soon, but it is miles ahead of any protection scheme Fields had in three years with Chicago. If those three can live up to their potential, there’s a very good chance that Fields will likewise finally approach his ceiling in the NFL as a franchise quarterback.
From there, the sky is the limit for this Jets team.