For a while last year, it seemed like Justin Fields had found the fresh start he needed in Pittsburgh. But after an encouraging 4-2 start, he was replaced by Russell Wilson for the remainder of the season. After the Steelers failed to show the level of interest Fields and his camp would have wanted, they moved on again.
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Looking for the perfect situation in what is likely his final real chance to lead an NFL team as the starting quarterback, Fields signed a two-year, $40 million deal with none other than the New York Jets. Go figure.
The Jets do have a few intriguing pieces on offense, with wide receiver Garrett Wilson and running back Breece Hall. They are both among the most dynamic and exciting athletes at their positions. However, early returns at training camp have not been very encouraging for Fields. Recently, a compilation clip of Fields’ missing throws—and missing them by a mile—during a joint practice with their intra-city rivals, the New York Giants, made the rounds on TikTok.
@gflnetwork Not the cleanest day from Justin Fields today 👀 #justinfields #jets #nfl #football #giants
In the first clip, Fields misses Wilson on an easy throw that was simulating a screen. Not great. There were at least three more where Fields was nowhere near connecting with Wilson. Considering Wilson is WR1, it’s a bit discouraging to see that lack of chemistry. There were also several other wobbly throws that were way off the mark.
As they always do when the Jets do something even slightly embarrassing, NFL fans across the nation jumped all over Fields. “Known accurate QB Justin Fields struggles with accuracy in practice :/” joked one fan. “Justin Fields struggles with thing he has struggled with his whole life as NFL teams keep trying to convince themselves he’s just not melanin Daniel Jones,” quipped a different user.
Another was looking even deeper, questioning Fields’ actual throwing mechanics. And they’re not wrong. “His feet are in different places literally every throw in this clip, just absolutely zero consistency in his platform despite there being no simulated pressure on the pocket forcing him to move and have unstructured throws.”
“He legit going to get benched this year,” said a fourth, though they were quickly corrected by another fan that pointed out New York’s depth chart behind Fields, which includes an injured 36-year-old Tyrod Taylor and two undrafted youngsters.
Fields has always had a cannon arm that could hit someone on a dime down the field. But he has also struggled consistently with accuracy and touch on short and intermediate throws, which was clear from those camp clips.
Nonetheless, Justin Fields started his first (preseason) game for the Jets on Saturday, playing one series. It turned out to be a 10-play, 79-yard touchdown drive that was capped by a 13-yard touchdown scramble by Fields. He managed to go 3-for-4 for 42 yards through the air, with all three of his completions coming in the short and intermediate game.
So what matters more: a compilation of clips from training camp? Or a limited but impressive performance in preseason?
