The New York Jets recently signed quarterback Justin Fields to a two-year, $40 million contract following the departure of veteran signal-caller Aaron Rodgers. Fields was drafted by the Bears in 2021; before that, he was the man under center for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
First-year coach Aaron Glenn made it abundantly clear this spring that Justin Fields is their QB1, committing no draft capital to a quarterback and instead loading up around him.
"Listen, we want to surround Justin with good skill players, along with a good offensive line," Glenn said. "So any time you can do that within any offense, with any quarterback, man, that's an A-plus. So that's the plan, it's always been the plan, and that's something that we've talked about before. Let him be a quarterback and surround him with good players."
With the No. 7 overall pick, they bolstered the offensive line by taking tackle Armand Membou, then addressed the red-zone game by adding tight end Mason Taylor at No. 42 and injected speed at receiver with Arian Smith in the fourth round.
This strategy wasn’t merely lip service. By declining to draft a quarterback, the Jets signaled long-term faith in Fields, who showed dynamic dual-threat ability during his stint with Pittsburgh in 2024. Rather than hedge their bet, general manager Darren Mougey and Glenn doubled down, crafting an offense that leans into Fields’ strengths as both a runner and passer.
With this offensive overhaul, New York has sent a loud and unambiguous message: Justin Fields will have every tool at his disposal to succeed.
