Justin Fields has been given chances to be a starting quarterback with multiple NFL franchises since being drafted in 2021. But just shy of his 27th birthday, Fields’ future in the league may be relegated to the role of backup based on results in recent seasons.
Justin Fields’ Days As NFL Starter Are Likely Numbered
Selected with the 11th overall pick in 2021 by Chicago, Fields failed to catch on with the Bears. He started 38 games during the first three years of his career, and posted a record of just 10-28 in those games. The team cut ties ahead of the 2024 season, as they traded him to Pittsburgh for a 6th round pick, where Fields was given the chance to compete for the starting job with Russell Wilson.
Fields started just six games for the Steelers, but posted respectable numbers by sporting a 4-1 record and tossing 5 touchdowns and just 1 interception. It was enough to earn him another shot, this time with the New York Jets for the 2025 campaign.
His time in the Big Apple was short-lived. Fields started the first nine games of the season for the Jets, and won just two of them. And while his interception numbers were still low, he averaged fewer than 140 yards per game, and had four different starts in which he posted fewer than 55 total passing yards for the entire game.
ESPN Reports Jets Will Part Ways With Fields This Offseason
According to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, the Jets are likely to part ways with Justin Fields this NFL offseason. They will likely test the trade market to see if they can find any value for their quarterback, but a release is the most likely scenario. The team would void the final year of a two-year, $40 million contract, of which $30 million is guaranteed.
Justin Fields and the Jets are likely to part ways during the offseason after they agreed to a two-year, $40 million contract ($30 million fully guaranteed) last March, per ESPN's Rich Cimini.
Fields being released appears to be the most likely outcome unless a trade… pic.twitter.com/PyAa5GRzyI
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) January 4, 2026
Even with a shortage of starting-caliber signal callers potentially available this offseason, Fields might still struggle to find a job. There will almost certainly be teams interested in giving him a shot in a backup role or perhaps for a competition with an incoming rookie, but it is highly unlikely that any NFL team views him as a Week 1 option.
In 53 starts over his first five seasons in the league, Fields has posted an overall record of 16-37.
