Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
Taking a look at the new Jets starting quarterback
The
New York Jets got free agency underway by signing Justin Fields to a two-year contract for $40 million with $30 million in full guarantees. Today we break Fields down in detail.
The 26-year old Fields is listed at 6’3” and 227 pounds. He was the 11th overall pick out of
Ohio State in 2021. After three years with the Bears, Fields was traded to the
Steelers last season and started the first six games of the year before being benched. In his career, Fields has passed for almost 8,000 yards with 45 touchdowns and 31 interceptions, while also rushing for over 2,500 yards and 19 scores.
Background
Fields, who was also a highly sought-after baseball prospect, was a five-star recruit coming out of high school and initially headed to Georgia, where he would back up Jake Fromm in his freshman year.
He mostly saw action in garbage time, but he put up good statistics as he had 328 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions as a passer and 266 rushing yards with four more touchdowns.
At the end of his freshman year Fields decided to transfer to Ohio State, which ordinarily would have required him to sit out the next season. However, he successfully applied for a waiver which enabled him to move straight into the Buckeyes’ starting lineup the following year.
In his first year at Ohio State, Fields passed for over 3,000 yards with 41 touchdowns and only three interceptions. He added almost 500 rushing yards and a further 10 scores. At the end of the year, with a chance to reach the national title game, he passed for a season-high 320 yards but the Buckeyes lost 29-23 to Clemson.
Having ended up third in the race for the Heisman Trophy, Fields didn’t quite play with the same level of consistency in the pandemic-affected 2020 season, ending up with 22 touchdown passes and five touchdown runs to go along with six interceptions. However, he avenged the Clemson loss in the playoffs, passing for 385 yards and six touchdowns in an incredible performance. The Buckeyes lost in a blowout to Alabama in the championship game, though, as Fields was held under 200 yards passing.
Fields announced he would forego his last two years of eligibility and enter the 2021 draft with some early buzz suggesting he was a candidate to be the first overall pick. However, once the combine and pro days were completed, it was obvious that Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson would be the first two quarterbacks selected and Fields had to wait until the 11th pick to be selected by the
Chicago Bears.
Despite beginning his career as the backup to Andy Dalton, Fields rushed for a touchdown in the 2021 season opener and then made his first NFL start in week three as Dalton was injured. He struggled badly, completing just six of 20 passes and getting sacked nine times. However, he won his next start against the
Detroit Lions and was named as the permanent starter soon afterwards.
By the end of the season, Fields had made 10 starts, winning just two. He passed for 1,870 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions and rushed for 420 with four more scores. He also fumbled 12 times, losing five.
Fields started a career-high 15 games in his second season, but the Bears lost 12 of these. He emerged as a true run threat with over 1,100 rushing yards and eight scores to go along with improved passing numbers of 2,242 yards, 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He even got a fifth-place vote in MVP voting, which placed him 9th overall.
During the season, Fields put up some unprecedented numbers a couple of times as he became the first player with three touchdown passes and over 150 rushing yards in a game and then, the following week, became the first NFL quarterback with over 140 rushing yards and a 60-yard touchdown in back-to-back games. However, the Bears lost both times.
Fields had some good moments in 2023 as well, as he won five of his 13 starts. His passing output increased, as he ended up with 2,562 yards and 16 touchdowns with nine interceptions. He rushed for 657 yards and four touchdowns.
In a game against the
Denver Broncos, he started off by completing his first 16 passes in leading the Bears to a 28-7 lead. They lost 31-28, but he ended up with 335 yards and four scores, then threw another four touchdown passes in a win the following week.
Fields also had a key moment on national TV when he led the Bears to a 12-10 over the Vikings which included a 36-yard late-game completion to DJ Moore to set up the winning field goal.
At the start of the 2024 season, with the Bears preparing to draft Caleb Williams first overall, the Pittsburgh Steelers traded a conditional draft pick to the Bears for Fields and he began the year as their starter with Russell Wilson injured.
Fields did a solid job in a game manager role, leading the Steelers to a 4-2 start, which led most fans to expect he would remain in there ahead of Wilson, who had looked to be past his prime in 2023. In those games, Fields had 1,106 passing yards with five touchdowns and only one interception, while also rushing for 289 yards and two scores.
However, the Steelers opted to put Wilson in for the game against the Jets and he led them to a win and ended up retaining the role for the rest of the year.
In free agency, the Steelers reportedly wanted to re-sign Fields to a deal similar to the one he ultimately got from New York, but the Jets had offered additional guarantees to secure his services.
Let’s move on to some more in-depth analysis of what Fields brings to the table as a player, based on extensive research and film study.
Measurables/Athleticism
Fields has a strong frame and excellent quickness and agility. He ran a 4.46 in the 40-yard dash at Ohio State’s pro day in 2021.
His size is adequate but his hand size is below average and this could be a factor in some of his high fumble rates since entering the league.
Arm Strength
Fields obviously has a strong arm and is capable of making all the throws. His numbers on downfield throws have been solid since his rookie season.
He can get good zip on the ball when required, even when throwing on the move and when unable to set his feet or step into a throw he is capable of getting the required extra juice on an “arm-only” throw.
The main criticism Fields has in this area is that he will at times underthrow a deep ball, causing his man to have to slow up to catch it.
Accuracy
Fields’ accuracy in college was good, with his completion percentage rising to a career-best 70 percent in his final season.
At the NFL level, he was hovering around the 60 percent mark in his first three seasons but improved to 66 percent last season with the Steelers. However, that may have been attributed to him simply making higher percentage throws and taking fewer risks.
Fields can set his feet and fire a pass into a tight window, but he’s also effective on the move. His ball placement is ideal here on a roll to the right.
Under pressure
Fields has some escapability, but this can be detrimental at times, as he will hold onto the ball too long trying to make something happen. In 2022, he was sacked 55 times to lead the league.
As noted previously, his hands are undersized and this, along with poor awareness at times, has factored into him fumbling 44 times in four seasons, including 16 times in 2022.
There were improvements with the Steelers in terms of getting the ball out quickly and he also only had two passes batted down at the line, having had 23 in his 38 starts with the Bears.
When he does come under pressure, this is where he will have a tendency to make bad reads or panic.
He has some toughness and is willing to take big hits and hang in there for the extra half-second needed to get the ball out.
Footwork/Technique
Fields has good lateral footwork, a solid base and good drive mechanics, but the book on him coming into the league was that he had a slow operation which NFL teams would seek to speed up.
There have clearly been tweaks to his technique during his career so far, but at times it’s seemed like these have caused him to become more confused and to lapse into having happy feet.
When he’s focused on pointing his hips towards his target or keeping his shoulders square when rolling out, he looks good and he can reset his feet in the pocket or on the move. However, he will sometimes make throws when he’s off-balance or off-platform.
Even when rolling to the left, he is able to reset his feet and hit receivers on time and in stride.
Decision Making
Fields’ biggest weakness in his career so far has been his inability to read the field, especially when pressured. He has also had a tendency to fix his eyes onto his intended target. These were areas where the Steelers were heavily focused while developing him last year and only one interception in six games would seem to be a sign that they had some success with this.
This was the kind of mistake the Steelers coaches were seeking to eradicate from his game last year.
He would also have issues with being too indecisive and perhaps not taking the easy early throws while looking for something bigger which isn’t going to be there.
When flushed from the pocket, Fields has shown some improvements in terms of his ability to keep his head up and look downfield rather than just running the ball.
Mobility
Although he was considered more of a pocket passer with run threat abilities as he entered the league, Fields has been more of a dual threat at the NFL level so far. After rushing for 100 yards just once at Ohio State, he’s done so five times in the NFL, showcasing some impressive playmaking abilities.
His speed in the open field is impressive, allowing for potential huge gains if he isn’t spied or breaks a downfield tackle.
Fields’ teams have opted not to use him on quarterback sneaks at the goal line but he’s been extremely effective at them in short yardage situations, converting 11 of 11 in college and 18 of 23 at the NFL level.
Special teams
Fields hasn’t played special teams at all in college or at the pro level.
Scheme Fit
Fields has never really been part of a high-octane passing game. He never surpassed 320 yards passing in regular season action in college and has just two 300 yard games at the NFL level. However, there were signs last year that the Steelers were seeking to have him run less and throw more.
It’s telling that Fields has had some of his best games against the Detroit Lions team for whom current Jets head coach Aaron Glenn was the defensive coordinator. Clearly they found aspects of Fields’ game difficult to stop and indications are that those elements fit in well with how the Jets plan to operate on offense under this staff.
He played with current Jets Josh Myers, Jeremy Ruckert and Garrett Wilson at Ohio State and Jermaine Johnson at Georgia. His chemistry with Ruckert and Wilson, especially Wilson, could be important this season.
Injuries
With his tendency to hold the ball for too long and willingness to stand in and take a hit, it’s not surprising that Fields has been banged up and missed games at times.
He had a knee issue in 2019, missed two games with rib injuries and one due to Covid in 2021 and missed a game each with a hip injury and an injury to his non-throwing shoulder in 2022. He also had head, shoulder and thumb injuries in 2023, causing him to miss a total of four games.
In addition, he famously took a massive hit in that 385-yard, six touchdown game against Clemson, suffering rib injuries and impressing everyone with his toughness to stay in the game.
Intangibles
Fields is a competitor with a fierce work ethic who was named as a team captain in 2020. That year, he was so determined for the season to go ahead in spite of the pandemic that he collected signatures on a petition, displaying his passion for the game.
He also displayed good on-field situational awareness on this game clinching play last season.
His controversial move from Georgia to Ohio State was reportedly approved without the need for a year off after an incident that saw one of the baseball team call him a racial slur.
Conclusions
When Fields out-duelled Lawrence in the college football playoffs, there was discussion for a short time that he could potentially be considered as a potential first overall pick.
That soon calmed down as concern about some of the weaknesses that could prevent him from reaching the top level resurfaced. Based on his career so far, these concerns were well-founded, but there are some signs that he has improved throughout his career.
It’s a worthwhile gamble for the Jets, a team whose lack of success in developing quarterbacks cannot be ignored, no matter who is coaching. However, the recent successes of players like Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield and Geno Smith will give the Jets comfort that elevating a player previously thought to be a bust to a higher level can be done.
Should Fields not work out, this deal won’t necessarily be a regime-killer but if he can continue to build on the promise he showed at the start of last season, the Jets can create some optimism heading into this new era.
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