Justin Fields might not be the starter of the New York Jets for long if you read into opinion of franchise owner Woody Johnson.
Johnson told reporters at the NFL owners meetings on Tuesday that he’s still in first-year head coach Aaron Glenn’s corner despite the 0-7 start to the 2025 season.
From Johnson’s perspective, quarterback play is again a hindrance for the Jets. Fields was benched at halftime of Sunday’s 13-6 home loss to the Carolina Panthers and reportedly will be replaced in the starting lineup by Tyrod Taylor.
“Well, it looks like (Glenn is) turning around parts of it,” Johnson said. “It’s hard when you have a quarterback with a rating that he’s got. I mean, he has ability, but something is just not jiving. But if you look at any head coach of a quarterback like that, you’re going to see similar results if you were across the league. You have to play consistently at that position, and that’s what we’re going to try to do.”
Fields signed a two-year, $40 million contract with the Jets as an unrestricted free agent. He has only 15 total completions for 91 yards with a long gain of 12 in the past two games.
“I just think defense, special teams are doing better,” Johnson said on Tuesday. “Defense is pretty good. If we can just complete a pass, it would look good.”
Fields signed two years after Johnson stepped in to mandate that the franchise fix the quarterback position under head coach Robert Saleh. Three months later, the Jets had a trade agreement with the Green Bay Packers for Aaron Rodgers.
But Glenn, previously defensive coordinator of the Detriot Lions and a former NFL cornerback who played eight years for the Jets, decided to move on from Rodgers, who spent two seasons in New York. A 2021 first-round pick with the Bears, Fields spent last season with the Steelers when Chicago decided to use the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft to select quarterback Caleb Williams.
