By the end of last season, everyone could tell both the New York Jets and Aaron Rodgers were done with each other. The two-year experiment was a complete disaster, which was marred by injuries Rodgers had suffered along with his advanced age. During the offseason, the Jets parted ways with Rodgers and brought in Justin Fields, who left the Pittsburgh Steelers after just one season, signing him to a two-year, $40 million deal.
They were able to extend wide receiver Garrett Wilson, who was teammates with Fields at Ohio State from 2019-2020, despite some awkward moments with Rodgers the last two seasons. They followed up with an extension of their cornerback, Sauce Gardner, on the first day of training camp.
So while the Jets are starting over with both the new head coach in Aaron Glenn, and general manager in Darren Mougey, they entered the 2025 season with renewed optimism. But just weeks into training camp, the gamble is looking increasingly risky — and potentially disastrous.
According to SNY’s Connor Hughes, the Jets’ passing attack has been alarmingly inefficient. Fields has completed just 15 of 43 passes in full-team drills over the last three practices entering Wednesday, throwing two interceptions, taking three sacks, and failing to complete a pass longer than five air yards.
Even in 7-on-7 drills, where quarterbacks typically thrive, Fields was only 1 of 4 completions with another pick. The Jets’ offense, which was supposed to be rejuvenated under new head coach Aaron Glenn, is instead sputtering before it even hits preseason.
The Jets' gamble on Justin Fields will backfire if the offense does not pick itself up
The Jets were hoping Fields could be more than a stopgap. He is still 26 and did show some promise as a starter for Pittsburgh. But his early camp performance suggests the Jets may have overestimated his readiness and upside.
In defense of Fields, the Jets’ wide receiver room isn’t helping much. While Wilson remains a bona fide star, the rest of his supporting cast (Josh Reynolds, Tyler Johnson, and former Packer Allen Lazard) have failed to separate or make contested catches. Rookie standout tight end Mason Taylor was a bright spot until a high ankle sprain sidelined him for a few weeks.
The strength of their offense for now is their ground game. Glenn has emphasized a return to a gritty, run-heavy identity, leaning on Breece Hall, Braelon Allen, and Isaiah Davis. But even the most physical ground game needs a credible passing threat to keep defenses honest. Right now, the Jets don’t have that.
Glenn, to his credit, is not panicking. And neither is Fields, who is still recovering from a dislocated toe he suffered during training camp. However, with their first pre-season game scheduled for this Saturday, that is not what the Jets fans want to hear. If the struggles continue the entire pre-season, the Jets could find themselves chasing losses before the season even begins, and facing yet another reset at the game’s most important position.