Steelers Now
Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields has been benched by the New York Jets once again. Veteran Tyrod Taylor will take over as the Jets’ signal-caller.
To say the least, it’s been a tumultuous first season for Fields with the Jets. New York is off to a dreadful 2-7 start and team owner Woody Johnson doesn’t back Fields.
In late October, Johnson essentially blamed Fields for the team’s 0-7 start.
“It’s hard when you have a quarterback with the rating that we’ve got. He has the ability, but something is not jiving,” Johnson told reporters Tuesday at the NFL owners’ fall meetings in New York City. “If you look at any head coach with a quarterback like that, you are going to similar results across the league.”
The Jets gave Fields a two-year, $40 million contract, including $30 million in guarantees this past offseason. It’s a move that Johnson apparently regrets.
“The offense is just not clicking, and you can’t run the ball if you can’t pass the ball,” Johnson said. “That’s football 101.”
Fields was benched in the Jets’ Week 7 loss to the Carolina Panthers. Fields completed 6 of 12 passes for 46 yards with zero touchdowns, zero interceptions, and a passer rating of 59.7.
“It’s not my decision. I’m here to be the best teammate I can be. I’m here to be the best person I can be,” Fields said when asked if he felt his benching was warranted.
In nine games as the Jets’ starter, Fields completed 128 of 204 passes (62.7%) for 1,259 yards with seven touchdowns, one interception, and a passer rating of 89.5.
Last season with the Steelers, Fields also made six starts, and completed 106 of 161 passes (65.8%) for 1,106 yards, five touchdowns, one interception and a 93.3 passer rating.
Fields was a free agent at the end of the 2024 season, and the Steelers had a dialogue with him about returning, but he ended up preferring the offer from New York. If the Jets release Fields after the 2025 season, he will incur a $22 million dead cap hit.
The Steelers could be harmed by Fields’ benching. They are currently projected to earn a fourth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft thanks to the NFL’s compensatory draft pick formula for departing free agents. Fields probably played enough to secure a fourth-rounder, but the Steelers will not get a third-round pick if he remains benched for the rest of the season.
Both of the Steelers quarterbacks from last year — Russell Wilson and Justin Fields — have been benched by their respective New York teams this season.
Alan Saunders contributed reporting for this story.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Former Steelers QB Justin Fields Benched by Jets Again
