This one mistake shows exactly why the Jets shouldn’t trust Justin Fields

The New York Jets smartly pivoted away from Aaron Rodgers this offseason, instead signing former Pittsburgh Steelers signal-caller Justin Fields to a two-year, $40 million contract. For a quarterback with 44 career starts in four NFL seasons and plenty of untapped potential at 25 years old, that contract is an excellent balance of risk versus reward in New York's favor.

That said, we cannot start planning the parade route in New York yet. The Jets' track record of quarterback development is... bad. Like, historically bad. This is a new regime, from the front office down to the coaching staff, but ownership is still there. For these chronically bad organizations, trouble typically starts at the top and trickles down, regardless of how competent and qualified those below them are.

Aaron Glenn is a great coach. Tanner Engstrand comes over from Detroit alongside him to handle offensive play-calling duties. He learned at the altar of Ben Johnson and should have plenty of unique ideas for how to unleash a dual-threat QB like Fields.

But at the end of the day, it remains to be seen how thoroughly the Jets can trust Fields. The burden of proof remains squarely on the Ohio State product.

Justin Fields needs to prove that he can consistently win games for the Jets

New York invests in Fields after he went 4-2 in six starts for the Steelers last season, including a 3-0 start. Most Steelers fans now admit that Fields should have started 17 games and the playoffs, but Mike Tomlin preferred the experience and cachet of Russell Wilson. So be it. Fields looked good in his sparse starting opportunity, showing more poise and dynamism than he ever could in Chicago beforehand.

And yet, for every eye-popping, 'wow' moment from Fields, there was a sobering reminder of his limitations. Pittsburgh's Week 3 victory for the Los Angeles Chargers was a prime example of this. USA Today's Tyler Dragon made his case for Fields as New York's long-awaited QB solution. He cited this 55-yard TD bullet to Calvin Austin

It was a tremendous throw and it effectively sealed the Steelers' victory. But roughly 15 minutes earlier in the game, Fields threw a dinky interception off of a lineman's back with the game tied 10-10. In the moment, it felt like Fields might've handed victory to L.A.

Jets will test Justin Fields' consistency with less structure around him

On the whole, this Jets offense should favor Fields more than Pittsburgh's did. Engstrand figures to run a more dynamic scheme than Arthur Smith. Garrett Wilson is a substantial upgrade over George Pickens, both in the locker room and on the field. With a first-round pick invested in the offensive line and a second-round pick invested at tight end, the Jets went above and beyond to deliver Fields a competent supporting cast, which is all too rare a commodity in East Rutherford.

But there are two sides to that coin. Arthur Smith loves to run the football. He likes to spread the wealth. And, most importantly, he tends to keep a tight lid on his quarterbacks, never asking too much of them. Fields is an incredible athlete with a singular ability to extend possessions with his legs and evade tacklers in the open field. But when he's asked to stand in the pocket and do run-of-the-mill quarterback things, like stretch the field with his arm and operate under duress, that is when it can get dicey.

Fields lacks zip on his throws, especially when he's under pressure or attempting the thread a particularly difficult needle. It can lead to interceptions. It can lead to tepidness. New York needs to hope Fields can grow beyond that and playing a more free and loose brand of football without sacrificing efficiency. If not, fans will be sorely disappointed in their Aaron Rodgers successor.