Steelers Now
To say the least, New York Jets owner Woody Johnson is not a fan of quarterback Justin Fields. He thinks Fields is the main reason 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.”
Woody Johnson on #Jets HC Aaron Glenn with Justin Fields at QB: “If you look at any head coach with a quarterback like that, you’re going to see similar results.” pic.twitter.com/H8Ge3fwLva
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) October 21, 2025
The Jets are planning to bench Fields for Tyrod Taylor as their starting quarterback, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.
Johnson said the decision is “completely up to” head coach Aaron Glenn.
Fields ws benched in Sunday’s 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 six starts, Fields has posted a career-low 32.1 Total QBR, ranking 31st out of 33 qualified passers. Fields’s passer rating is 18th best in the league at 91.1. His EPA per dropback is -0.09 and 28th in the league.
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. Contract value and playing time are the primary components of that formula, so Fields’ benching could drop that pick down from its current expected value.
Alan Saunders contributed reporting for this story.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Jets Owner Takes Massive Shot at Justin Fields
