The New York Jets have been fickle about Justin Fields' status as their starting quarterback throughout the 2025 NFL regular season, his first season with the team.
The Jets have decided it is in their best interest to bench Fields for their Week 12 game against the Ravens and beyond, turning to 36-year-old, well-traveled backup Tyrod Taylor.
That doesn't bode well for Fields seeing a second season with the Jets. The Jets look like they want to move on again from another disappointing QB, after two years of Aaron Rodgers didn't work out.
Here's looking at what's next for benched Fields as he's now trending to find a fourth NFL team in 2026:
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Justin Fields' contract with the Jets
Fields, after not being re-signed by the Steelers with that team replacing him (and Russell Wilson) with Rodgers, landed with the Jets on a 2-year, $40 million deal in the offseason. He got $30 million guaranteed in a bit of a shocking high-priced flyer.
The Jets would be tied to a $22 million dead money hit from Fields' $23 million cap number should they release him without a June 1 designation in '26. A trade for next March would reduce the dead money to $12 million. Either way, by moving on from the high salaries of defensive stars Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams, the Jets have plenty of projected cap space (near $100 million to absorb a pricey exit from Fields' contract.
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What's next for Justin Fields?
There will be more QB-needy teams in 2026. Some will be changing offensive coaching philosophies and, therefore, change the type of veteran QB to target.
Fields is a careful passer and willing runner, so at this point, with his post-Chicago opportunities in Pittsburgh and New York not panning out, his best bet is to land as a backup QB. That's because in the running QB mold, benched younger Colt Anthony Richardson, 23, has more upside than Fields. Fields turns 27 in March, just less than five years since the Bears drafted him No. 11 overall.
The Raiders, Saints and other teams had opportunities to go after Fields for a couple of offseasons and passed. It would now make the most sense for Fields to further develop as an NFL QB.
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Marcus Mariota (Commanders), Tyler Huntley (Ravens), Trey Lance (Chargers) and fellow former first-round Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky (Bills) are all free agents in 2026. Fields is to the point in his career, if he couldn't push forward with the Jets, that he's better off backing up a top starter such as Jayden Daniels, Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert or Josh Allen.
Fields is one of the league's most dynamic running quarterbacks. But his major problem has been a reluctance and lack of confidence to throw the ball downfield. That won't cut it anymore as starter material until he has real time to develop as a passer without playing.
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