For many fans of the New York Jets, the signing of quarterback Justin Fields represented one of the most exciting moments of the offseason, and it’s easy to see why. Fields at his best is a human highlight reel and the Jets are hoping to finally get him to be that version of himself more consistently. The coaches have already been effusive in their praise for the 26-year-old and at least one NFL coordinator named the Fields/Aaron Glenn duo his favorite quarterback-head coach pairing of the offseason.
Hype and excitement are great for the fans, especially at this point of the offseason, but a critical look at Fields’ NFL resume dampens that enthusiasm quite a bit. Fields’ record when the other team scores more than 21 points is a horrendous 0-22. Yes, you read that right. He hasn’t won a single NFL game when the opponent scores more than three touchdowns. He’s also never played a full season nor has he come anywhere close to throwing for just 3,000 yards. Even in his best year, his yards per games average would only come to 3,350 yards had he played the full 17-game season.
The odds of Fields suddenly becoming a franchise quarterback just don’t look good any way you slice them. As aforementioned, the fans are right to be hopeful, but they should keep in mind some potential replacements for Fields in 2026. Here’s four realistic options.
Anthony Richardson
I did say ‘realistic’ and not ‘great’. Richardson appears to be on a short leash in Indy and will likely be jettisoned next offseason barring a miraculous turnaround. Would he be better than Fields? Maybe not, but he’d be cheap and the Jets could once again gamble on turning around the career of a promising young quarterback.
Russell Wilson
Let’s say the Jets overperform expectations and reach the playoffs in 2025. Everything looks good but the team is held back by erratic quarterback play. Should that be the case, maybe the Jets look for another short-term answer? Though he’s far from his heyday in Seattle, Wilson still provides steady, reliable play at quarterback and could propel the Jets even further in 2026. Plus, he’s already in town on a one-year deal with the Giants.
Kenny Pickett
Back to betting on upside with a disappointing youngster. The Cleveland Browns have what is essentially a 5-way quarterback battle coming up in training camp and Pickett is almost certain to be one of the odd men out. Like Richardson, he would be cheap but would likely represent another season of misery for Jets fans.
A rookie
Unless the Jets start the season on an absolute heater, the best outcome in the long-term may be a tanking season that results in a Top 3 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. It’s still way too early to draw conclusions about next year’s draft class, but there figures to be at least one quarterback who will be worth a top pick.
This is not an ideal scenario for any team, to hope for the league’s worst record in order to swing on an unknown quantity at the game’s most important position. After looking at potential free agent quarterbacks, however, Jets fans may agree with me that this would be the highest-upside route.
