New York Jets Add Justin Fields As Their New Starting QB But Is This An Upgrade From Aaron Rodgers?

Look, the New York Jets are going to celebrate their addition of unrestricted free agent Justin Fields as their new starting quarterback.

Of course they are.

They just agreed in principle on a two-year deal worth a reported $40 million that includes $30 million guaranteed. So the Jets, who are releasing Aaron Rodgers after two seasons, have their new starting quarterback.

Yay, J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets.

Bears unlikely to trade Justin Fields. (Credit: Getty Images)

Did The Jets Upgrade At Quarterback?

Except I need to ask the question any critical thinker would immediately pose: Did the Jets just upgrade? 

Did they, in other words, solve anything on Monday?

Is Fields going to be better for the Jets than Rodgers might have been or was last season?

Look, the Jets are clearly sold on Fields. Head coach Aaron Glenn was the Detroit Lions defensive coordinator for years while Fields played for the Chicago Bears, and he's aware Fields has moments when he's dynamic.

So the Jets somehow – money – convinced Fields that a chance to play in the Big Apple is a better opportunity for his growth and development than to return to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

So, Fields informed the Steelers he was picking the Jets.

But, again, what have the Jets done?

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Fields Younger, More Mobile But That's It

In replacing Rodgers with Fields they obviously get younger at quarterback. Fields just turned 26 years old while Rodgers is headed toward 42 in December.

And the Jets believe Fields will not cast the shadow over the franchise that Rodgers did the last two years. Plus, it's possible owner Woody Johnson had grown disenchanted with Rodgers and wanted a change anyway.

But football isn't about a club owner's feelings. It's not about age, in case you missed the Tom Brady experience after his 40th birthday. And it's not about casting shadows.

It's about winning. About performing.

And upgrading every offseason to improve on the winning and performing from the previous year.

It's hard to see how the Jets believe they've accomplished that at the game's most important position.

Fields will undoubtedly be more mobile than Rodgers, who returned from surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles last season. But accuracy? Processing the game? Reading the defense? Anticipating throws?

One guy has been there and done that for years with an obvious advantage. And that guy's name is Rodgers. Not Fields.

Fields Fans Expect Statement Season

And now here comes the Justin fan club:

He was doubted at Georgia as a freshman.

He was doubted in Chicago.

He was doubted in Pittsburgh, which is a crazy argument to make because he started six games and every media member east of the Mississippi second-guessed the Steelers when they switched to Russell Wilson.

Anyway, now he's going to prove everyone wrong by playing for the Jets!

This is what I'd tell the Fields fans: He was doubted because he left plenty to doubt. He's on his third NFL team because his journey has been punctuated by unmet expectations.

He was a draft bust in Chicago to the point where the Bears won 10 games in three seasons with him as the starter, and both the head coach and general manager who drafted him got fired. 

He was solid in Pittsburgh. But Steelers coach Mike Tomlin obviously felt better about going with Wilson last year than he did with Fields.

And, yes, Tomlin was open to bringing Fields back for 2025 – because, again, Fields is young and still developing and good in the locker room.

But Tomlin is now still looking for a starting quarterback, and he might go back to Wilson. And, in what has been no secret around the league, he might turn his longstanding respect for Aaron Rodgers into a contract offer to make the veteran his new starter.

The Minnesota Vikings might also be a darkhorse candidate to add Rodgers if he's not too wigged out by the idea of following Brett Favre's career path.

And this is where I wonder who I agree with? Who is more likely to be right?

The New York Jets or Kevin O'Connell and Mike Tomlin?