Justin Fields’ tenure with the New York Jets could be over after the quarterback was placed on season-ending injury reserve.
Fields signed a two-year, $40million deal – including $30m guaranteed – back in March and was the Jets’ starter for most of this season.
But the quarterback was benched in favor of Tyrod Taylor last month and then recently appeared on the team’s injury report with what was described as ‘soreness’ in his knee.
The injury sidelined him the past three games and head coach Aaron Glenn announced Tuesday that Fields was going on IR.
‘It wasn’t getting as better as we would like it,’ Glenn said. ‘So we want to make sure we get a focus on that to make sure we get him better.’
Undrafted rookie Brady Cook is set to make his third consecutive start Sunday against the Patriots. And Glenn, whose team is 3-12 in his first season, did not guarantee that Fields will be back next season.
Justin Fields’ tenure with the Jets could be over after he was placed on season-ending IR
New York Jets coach Aaron Glenn did not guarantee that Fields will be back next season
‘We’ll see how that goes,’ Glenn said with a chuckle when asked if he expects the 26-year-old to return for 2026. ‘We’re focused on New England right now.’
It seems certain the Jets will explore new options at quarterback, whether it’s through the draft – New York could have a pick in the top three in April – or free agency, or both.
Fields is due $20m next year, with $10m guaranteed. If he is cut, New York would have to absorb $22m in dead salary cap charges.
‘I don´t know what I’m going to eat for dinner tonight, so I can’t even worry about what’s going to happen until after the season,’ Fields said last week. ‘We’ll just see and take it day by day.’
It is uncertain if Fields, who was inactive for the Jets’ past three games, will need surgery.
‘I’m going to let the docs really hone in on that and if he does, this would be a great time to get it done so he can get it knocked out and get himself healthy,’ Glenn said.
‘But again, I don’t want to place that on him. I just know this, that we want to make sure that he gets this thing healthy and gets it ready.’
Fields, speaking to reporters last Friday for the first time since his injury in practice three weeks ago, said he recently had an MRI on his ailing knee and ‘they found something, so now we’re at this point.’
He added that he had ‘a nick or a bruise’ and said his injury is ‘more of a week-to-week thing.’
Undrafted rookie Brady Cook is set to make a third consecutive start Sunday vs. the Patriots
Fields went 2-7 as the Jets’ starter with seven touchdowns and only one interception for 1,259 yards.
But he also had four games in which he threw for under 55 yards, including a season-low 27 in a loss to Buffalo in Week 2.
‘It was definitely not what we planned it out to be,’ Fields said last week of his season. ‘But, you know, it’s life. Nothing works out how you want it to, but everything happens for a reason. I’ll just keep getting better as a quarterback, just evolving my game and changing my game and just continue to improve.’
Glenn added: ‘Any player that we have high hopes for and the season don´t go the way we want it to go, we´re always disappointed in that.’
Taylor, who missed one game with a groin injury before returning last week, will be the backup.
