FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Despite an uneven start to his career, New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields believes he’s on the cusp of a breakout season. The way he sees it, it’s the right team, the right time and the right scheme.
“I think I can be great,” Fields said Thursday after the Jets’ fifth OTA practice. “That’s been the goal for me my whole life, my whole career. I think the sky’s the limit for this team, for this offense, but we do have a long way to go.”
Fields, who signed a two-year, $40 million contract in March, is on his third team, playing for his fourth offensive coordinator in five years. His new play caller is first-year coordinator Tanner Engstrand, most recently the Detroit Lions’ passing-game coordinator. The Jets’ new scheme will have a Detroit flavor, so Fields is spending a lot of time – with the coaches and on his own – studying Lions tape.
“He’s obviously a physically talented player,” Engstrand said, speaking to the local media for the first time. “Everybody talks about the running — well, the guy’s got an arm, too, and he does a great job with that.
“Mentally, he’s phenomenal. He’s been absolutely phenomenal so far and we expect more out of that. There’s just a lot of things that you can do with that type of player that’s going to put stress on a defense and make that defensive coordinator stay up late at night as we get going into this thing.”
First-year coach Aaron Glenn said the goal is to make Fields a complete quarterback, not just a quarterback known for his running ability. He believes Fields, 26, the Chicago Bears’ first-round pick in 2021, has untapped potential as a passer.
Fields’ career numbers aren’t that impressive, but he has improved over his last 12 starts – six last year with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the final six games with the Bears in 2023. In those 12 starts, he produced an 8-4 record, with 17 passing/rushing touchdowns and only seven turnovers. Prior to that, he was 6-26, with 46 and 35, respectively.
The Jets, who acquired Fields to replace Aaron Rodgers, expect his career trajectory to continue.
“You just see some of the things that are starting to develop in his game, and then you look at that and you go, ‘That’s pretty good. We can do some things with that,'” Engstrand said.
Fields has impressed his new coaches and teammates with his quiet leadership. His confidence is “unshakable,” according to Glenn, who tapped Fields to lead the organization in the post-Rodgers era. They’ve made it clear that Fields, 26, is the undisputed starter.
“Our offense and defense are new, so guys are really tuned in and locked in and trying to get everything down,” Fields said. “But I think once we do, I think the sky’s the limit. I mean, we have all the guys we need, we have all the talent, so it’s really just going to come down to discipline and execution.”
Fields will debut Sept. 7 against the Steelers, the team that traded for him last year, then benched him in favor of Russell Wilson after a 4-2 start. Fields offered no insight on the matchup.
“That’s who we play Week 1,” he said. “It wasn’t really a thought to that.”
Any extra emotion?
“No.”
