Usually, first-round quarterbacks get ruined by the Jets before flourishing elsewhere. The Jets’ newest starter plans to turn that trend on its head.
Justin Fields, a failed first-rounder with the Bears in 2021 who played well in Pittsburgh until Russell Wilson was healthy enough to reclaim his job, is aiming high for his first year with the Jets.
“I think I can be great,” Fields said Thursday, via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. “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.”
The sky may be the limit, but the new-look Jets aren’t even ready for the runway.
“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.”
The Jets were talented last year, but they went 5-12. That happened in part because owner Woody Johnson intervened and interfered, firing coach Robert Saleh after Week 5 and throwing the season into a tailspin.
But if Fields does indeed become great, he will be quite a bargain for the Jets. At $20 million, he’s one of the lowest paid starting quarterbacks in the NFL not playing under a slotted rookie deal.
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