Just end the season... Not even a week into NFL training camp, and the New York Jets' season might already be washed. New starting quarterback Justin Fields was apparently carted off the field on Thursday morning with a lower leg injury at Jets training camp. He spent last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, splitting time with Russell Wilson as their starting quarterback. You hate to see it.
When it comes to the former first-round pick out of Ohio State, Fields was really banking on finally solidifying his position as an NFL franchise quarterback. He fizzled out after his first three seasons in the league with the Chicago Bears, but still showed some promise in Chicagoland, as well as at times in Pittsburgh. By coming to New York, he was supposed to help Gang Green finally make the big turn.
For now, the Jets' chances of ending their league-worst playoff drought have taken a disastrous hit. Yes, the Jets could conceivably trade for someone like Kirk Cousins of the Atlanta Falcons, but he is now the second quarterback to be down for the count before the season even began. This comes in the aftermath of Will Levis opting to have season-ending shoulder surgery with the Tennessee Titans.
SNY's Connor Hughes reported the Jets quickly pivoted to working on special teams after the injury.
BREAKING: #Jets QB Justin Fields is being carted off the field at training camp.
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) July 24, 2025
He suffered an injury to leg at practice.
The team ended that portion of practice after. They’re working special teams now.
With this being Aaron Glenn's first year as the Jets head coach, nobody is in a tougher spot than him.
Where do the New York Jets even go from here after Justin Fields injury?
The first thing I did when I had the chance after hearing about Fields' training camp injury was to look at the Jets' quarterback depth chart. After checking it out over on Ourlads, it is not promising at all...
- Justin Fields
- Tyrod Taylor
- Adrian Martinez
- Brady Cook
While Taylor has been a mainstay in the NFL for over a decade now out of Virginia Tech, he is at best a stop-gap quarterback at this stage of his career. Adrian Martinez was with the Jets last year after going undrafted out of Kansas State in 2023. I remember him from being a Scott Frost quarterback at Nebraska. As for Brady Cook, he is entering his rookie season out of Missouri after going undrafted.
So what this tells me is if Fields is to miss extended time, then the Jets have to do something fast. Taylor could start for at least a few games this season, but I would be hard-pressed to see him line up under center for all 17. I mentioned Cousins as a viable trade option with Atlanta, but there are other quarterbacks to potentially be had on other NFL rosters, as well as guys who are still unsigned today.
What this tells me more than anything is New York is not going to be a competitive team this season and they must prioritize drafting a franchise quarterback next spring. Fortunately for the Jets, the 2026 NFL quarterback draft class is loaded. Players like Drew Allar, Cade Klubnik, Garrett Nussmeier and LaNorris Sellers may all be first-round picks, as well as Sam Leavitt and Fernando Mendoza, too.
Arch Manning is not coming out after this season, but I would be all-in on looking for a franchise guy.