New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields is expected to deliver in 2025.
Fields has been given the keys to the Jets' offense by head coach Aaron Glenn, and fans are hoping for a dynamic season from the 26-year-old.
Fields is under unusual pressure to succeed. Not only is he playing under the spotlight of the New York media; he's replacing a veteran QB in Aaron Rodgers whom a faction of Jets fans never wanted to see leave.
Moreover, Fields will likely be judged by fans against the performance of Rodgers in 2025 and other quarterbacks that were on the market this offseason, like Seattle Seahawks' Sam Darnold, a former Jet of course.
If things turn south for Fields, it'll be convenient for sour Jets fans to point and say, 'We could have had Rodgers! We could have had Darnold!'.
However, as Gang Green Nation’s John Butchko pointed out recently, comparing Fields directly to Darnold -- especially based on Darnold’s statistical output in the 2024 season -- misses the mark.
“For Justin Fields, the comparison is not going to be Sam Darnold's statistical 2024 season," Butchko said on a recent episode of the Locked On Jets podcast.
"It’s (going to be), ‘Is Justin Fields a better quarterback than he was in Chicago, and even to a lesser extent, Pittsburgh?’ And we'll be able to judge him based on how he handles the pocket … Does he get through his reads better?"
"Part of this is on the Jets," Butchko continued.
"Whenever you're trying to get something out of a young quarterback, people tend to think it's either all about the coaching or it's all about the individual quarterback. If a quarterback succeeds some people will give the offensive coordinator all the credit. Other people will say, ‘No, it was all about the quarterback.’ And in reality, it's a part from column A and a part from column B.”
In Chicago, the former Ohio State Buckeye Fields showcased electrifying athleticism but struggled with pocket presence and processing speed. His stint in Pittsburgh offered glimpses of improvement.
Darnold’s 2024 season, while notable, occurred in a different context with the Minnesota Vikings under Kevin O’Connell’s quarterback-friendly scheme.
In 2025, Fields will be operating within the Jets’ unique offensive ecosystem, supported by talents like Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall, and Braelon Allen.
Can Fields thrive in New York’s high-pressure environment and carve out his own QB identity in Tanner Engstram's system?
These questions, not Darnold’s stat line, should define Fields’ evaluation.
