Gang Green Nation
The former Bears quarterback may not be the quarterback the Jets are looking for
With the revelation that Aaron Rodgers will no longer be a member of the New York Jets, the floodgates have opened, with every possible option on the table for New York. While some believe the answer lies in the draft, others think the Jets should utilize a bridge option at quarterback until the team truly has their answer. One of the options that has been a favorite amongst fans, even before Rodgers’ official departure, is Justin Fields.
The former Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback has floundered in his two opportunities as a starter. And, even though I was once a believer myself during his time at Ohio State, the writing is now on the wall for a player who has shown that while he has something, he doesn’t necessarily have it.
In Fields’ first season with the Chicago Bears, the rookie looked like a potential dual-threat monster. The only problem is that his play-speed as a processor saw drastic decline.
The rookie’s 3.06 seconds was the second-highest time to throw among quarterbacks that year (only behind Jalen Hurts), yet he had the sixth-highest pressure to sack ratio (23.8%). That means that whether the pocket was clean, or he was escaping, Fields didn’t make much happen as a passer. The following year was even worse: 3.45 seconds to throw the ball (first among QBs in 2022), with the third-highest pressure to sack ratio in the league. Fields’ final year with the Bears in 2023 was pretty much the same story. He led in time to throw, yet this time he improved his pressure-to-sack ratio, finishing 17th in the league. However, this is because he saw a career high in attempts with 370.
The other numbers back this up, too.
Since 2021, Justin Fields has the fifth-worst EPA/Play and Composite CPOE among 35 total quarterbacks (min. 1,000 dropbacks since 2021). Now, a lot of people point to outside factors as to why Fields did not succeed with Chicago. While some of these points have merit to an extent, Justin didn’t exactly blow people away with his performance in 2024 with the Steelers, either.
In Pittsburgh, Fields finished 17th in EPA/Play and Composite CPOE. And, because of that, it can be argued that coaching mattered. Unfortunately, that argument falls apart considering head coach Mike Tomlin opted to bench Fields for Russell Wilson, despite the former having a winning record as a starter.
That brings us back to the Jets, where there’s a hole at the position and fans are clamoring for an answer. Some see Fields as a viable option behind Tyrod Taylor, while others still see some upside on the fifth-year player. Yet while the optimism is much needed in the Jets community, it isn’t an option New York fans should be clamoring for.
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