Justin Fields didn’t waste any time letting the Pittsburgh Steelers know how he felt about their treatment of him last season and during this offseason. On the first day of legal tampering Monday, he signed with the New York Jets on a two-year, $40 million deal, including $30 million guaranteed. Considering the Jets hold the No. 7 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the move sends a pretty clear message about what they think of this year’s QB class.
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Fields isn’t on a rookie deal, but he comes about as cheap as a non-rookie starting QB will come. Actually not “about” as cheap—he is the cheapest starting QB on a non-rookie deal in the NFL right now. 18 starters make more than him, and the other 10 sitting behind him are all still on their rookie contracts.
When guys are getting paid $60 million a year and you snag a starter for $20 million, that’s what you call a steal. Fields’ dual-threat ability is something Jets fans haven’t had the chance to enjoy yet from a QB. And he also seemed to improve markedly as a passer in his limited action last year. He’s a known entity, and as Chase Daniel put it on Tuesday while defending the move: “What else are you gonna do?”
“You know what you’re getting in Justin Fields, and you can hope that your team will be .500. Look at the draft… there’s no one this year. This is me listening to the Jets saying, ‘We don’t like any quarterbacks in this draft, we’re gonna wait until next year.’ Justin Fields is making $20 million a year, that is very, very, very, very low-end starter money. A very low-risk signing, with a potential for high reward,” Chase added.
At this point, Cam Ward is a lock to be taken as the No. 1 overall pick, whether by the Tennessee Titans or a team that trades up. However, beyond that, the QB situation is very murky. The Cleveland Browns are reportedly moving away from the idea of taking a QB at No. 2. The New York Giants at No. 3 have been heavily linked to Aaron Rodgers.
It seems like teams are souring on Shedeur Sanders, whose draft stock continues to plummet. It wouldn’t be a shock at this point to see Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart leapfrog Sanders. But no matter the order, one thing is clear: NFL scouts and execs are not high on this draft class, which made the move to snag Fields a shrewd one. The Jets can now get a Day 1 contributor at another position of need with that No. 7 pick.
After the two-year Aaron Rodgers debacle, Justin Fields will be a breath of fresh air by all accounts. While things didn’t work out for him in Chicago or Pittsburgh, there was never a doubt about his character or leadership abilities.
Fields showed professionalism in how he handled his benching last year despite leading the Steelers to a 4-2 start. And with the Jets signing him to just a two-year deal, they have the flexibility to reassess if things don’t work out — something Daniel also pointed out.
“He gives them a non-distraction at the quarterback position… he’s a great locker room guy. That is what the New York Jets need right now… If you actually give Justin Fields the runway to start the whole year, and not to look behind your back, who knows what the ceiling could be with Justin Fields… This makes sense, because if he doesn’t work for one year, you move on.”
.@ChaseDaniel says the Jets signing Justin Fields was a “smart move”
“Justin gives them a non-distraction at the QB position. This is what they needed.” pic.twitter.com/0ObYPgy8Is
— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1) March 11, 2025
Next spring, the 2026 QB draft class is supposed to be stacked, highlighted by Arch Manning and Drew Allar. The Jets will hope Fields is the guy — he put up career-bests in completion percentage, interception rate, and passer rating last year — but if not, they’ve set themselves up well to move on seamlessly.
