This Jets are moving on from the Aaron Rodgers era.
The Jets were absolute idiots in the 2021 NFL Draft. With the disappointment of missing out on Trevor Lawrence fresh in their minds, the organization made the desperation move to not take the second best quarterback in the class, instead trading it all for a platinum blonde can of magic beans in Zach Wilson.
Wilson was abysmal. The team moved on, but there was always the lingering question of what could have been had the team made the right move and drafted Justin Fields. Now we’ll get to see that in action.
Fields will sign a two year, $40M deal that will give him time to show whether he’s the long-term option in New York — and importantly reunites him with Garrett Wilson from their time together at Ohio State.
This is not the same player Fields was when he was suffering under Matt Eberflus. Fields took massive strides forward as a patient playcaller in Pittsburgh, and he was able to show off his blend of athleticism and a huge arm to great effect. It seemed likely Fields would re-sign with Pittsburgh to be their long-term QB, but both ended up going in a different direction.
For Fields this is the perfect fresh start on his third NFL team. Aaron Glenn is an exciting coach and motivator who can bring out the best in him, and while the Jets are still in need of another receiver after cutting Davante Adams, they have the cap space to do it.
Most importantly: This is the Jets understanding who they are now. Instead of going for some ridiculous headline-grabbing deal with an aging veteran, it’s an admission that they know rebuilding this team is going to take some time and effort. The good news is that Fields is precisely the kind of young QB who can grow with the team.
Whether or not he can handle the external pressure that comes with being a quarterback in New York is another story.
