The New York Jets signed Justin Fields to a two-year deal for $40 million in free agency.
Garrett Wilson, Fields’ former Ohio State teammate, gave this addition the stamp of approval.
“He [Fields] has a connection with Garrett Wilson. I think Wilson is very happy from what I understand [after talking] to some people,” Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic revealed on the “Flight Plan” podcast. “I think a lot of guys on this team wanted Justin Fields as their quarterback who are still on the team. [Fields] has the chemistry with Garrett, Garrett is happy that he is coming, [and] you don’t have to deal with the personality clash there.”
The Fields-Wilson Relationship Is an Important Factor
Things got bad between Wilson and Aaron Rodgers during the 2024 season. So bad in fact that Wilson would have considered requesting a trade if Rodgers returned in 2025, according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.
“All is not well with Rodgers and Wilson,” Rapoport revealed on December 29. “Privately, there have been questions regarding whether Rodgers and Wilson can find common ground since they had a blowup during training camp … Wilson has not requested a trade, but if Rodgers is back, that is one of the options for how to proceed.”
There aren’t any questions about the relationship between Fields and Wilson.
The pair were teammates at Ohio State for two seasons in 2019 and 2020. OSU finished with a 20-2 record and the talented Buckeyes put up monster numbers.
Wilson during those two years caught 113 receptions for 1,781 receiving yards and scored 18 touchdowns.
Fields added 867 rushing yards and 15 rushing scores on the ground during those two seasons. Through the air, Fields added 5,373 passing yards, had a 63 touchdown to 9 interception ratio, and completed 68.7% of his passes during that same stretch.
Fields Is the Right Risk vs. Reward Proposition
The Jets acquired the most realistic best possible quarterback option that was available this offseason.
Fields, 26, is an unfinished product with untapped potential. He showed significant signs of improvement this past season on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Fields led the Steelers to a 4-2 record and set new career highs in completion percentage (65.8%) and quarterback rating (93.3).
“Here’s the reality & people don’t like to live in this, Justin Fields’ last two seasons he’s thrown for 21 touchdowns & 10 picks,” ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky said on the SportsCenter special “Free Agency Frenzy.”
In New York, Fields has a chance to prove he is the guy. The Jets signed him to a two-year deal for $40 million with $30 million of that guaranteed.
Based on his contract structure, Fields should be on the Jets roster for both of those years no matter what.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini explained that the former Ohio State product has a $20 million base salary next season with $10 million of that guaranteed.
Fields’ $20 million annual salary ranks No. 17 among the highest paid quarterbacks in the NFL, per Over The Cap.
If he has a standout year in 2025, Fields and the Jets can come back to the negotiating table to work out a long-term deal. If he stinks, Fields can be the bridge quarterback for the team in 2026 as they seek out what comes next at QB.
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