Justin Fields #2 of the Pittsburgh Steelers scrambles during the second quarter against the Baltimore Ravens during the AFC Wild Card Playoff at M&T Bank Stadium on January 11, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland.
The Athletic has live coverage of NFL free agency. Track all the latest moves here.
The New York Jets have a new quarterback. Justin Fields and the team agreed to terms on a two-year deal worth $40 million, according to a league source. The pact includes a guarantee of $30 million, according to a league source.
Fields was the Jets No. 1 target heading into the offseason, and they’ve had their eye on him ever since Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey took over as head coach and general manager, respectively.
He’s not a perfect quarterback but the talent is significant, his mobility can be used as a weapon and the Jets believe they can turn him into a quality starter in the same way Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold had a resurgence after leaving the teams that drafted them. The Jets announced last month that the team was moving on from Aaron Rodgers after two seasons.
Fields will plug in as the surefire starter in 2025 with Tyrod Taylor as a backup — and the prospect that the Jets would still draft another quarterback can’t be entirely ruled out.
Fields showed some flashes of improvement as a passer with the Steelers in 2024 but not enough to keep him from getting benched for Russell Wilson. Pittsburgh had interest in bringing him back, but the Jets ultimately made him an offer he couldn’t refuse — and now he gets to reunite with Ohio State teammate Garrett Wilson, too.
Fields was the No. 24 ranked player on The Athletic’s top 150 free agent rankings and the third-highest quarterback on the list. The No. 11 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by the Bears, Fields spent the first three seasons of his career in Chicago. With the team set to select Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Bears traded Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers last March.
Fields stepped in for an injured Wilson at the beginning of the season and led the Steelers to a 4-2 record before Fields was replaced by Wilson returned in the starting role. Last season, Fields posted career highs in completion percentage (65.8) and quarterback rating (93.3) while throwing for 1,106 passing yards, five touchdowns and one interception. He added 289 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
In four seasons, Fields has a record of 14-30 as a starting quarterback and has thrown for 7,780 yards, 45 touchdowns and 31 interceptions on a completion percentage of 61.1. The 26-year-old also has 2,509 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground.
Leave a Reply