An NFL analyst believes Justin Fields could solve the Jets' quarterback issues in 2026.

Jarrett Bailey

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NFL analyst says Justin Fields can help fix Jets quarterback problem in 2026 image

TL;DR

  • New York Jets demote Justin Fields, starting Tyrod Taylor due to 139.8 passing yards per game.
  • Jets signed Fields to a two-year, $40 million deal, but he is not seen as the long-term solution.
  • Bleacher Report suggests Jets draft Alabama QB Ty Simpson as a stabilizing presence.
  • Fields could remain as backup to Simpson, leveraging his running ability.

The New York Jets stand at 2-8, and head coach Aaron Glenn has opted to change the starting quarterback. Justin Fields has been demoted, with Tyrod Taylor taking over. Fields' average passing yards per game is a mere 139.8. Despite Fields having only a single interception this season, the team's passing offense lacks any explosive potential.

In March, the Jets signed Fields to a two-year, $40 million deal, including $30 million guaranteed. It's evident he's not the team's long-term solution, leading Alex Kay of Bleacher Report to suggest the Jets should select Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson in the draft.

"The 2026 draft class may not have a generational superstar worth tanking for, but Ty Simpson could at least be the stabilizing presence New York desperately needs under center," Kay writes. "After arriving in Tuscaloosa in 2022, Simpson patiently awaited his opportunity and finally emerged as Alabama's starter in 2025. It was worth the long wait, as Simpson is shining as the Crimson Tide's QB1 and elevated himself into a potential top-five pick in the process."

Kay adds that Fields can be part of the solution as the backup to Simpson.

"Simpson would be a heavy favorite to emerge as the Week 1 starter if the Jets take him early in the draft," Kay writes. "That would spell an unsurprising end to Fields' tenure as the QB1 in the Big Apple, but since the Jets already owe half of his $20 million salary for 2026, they could do far worse than keeping him around as backup."

Numerous pricier quarterbacks have been relegated to backup roles, with Kirk Cousins' situation with the Atlanta Falcons being a prime recent illustration. The Falcons awarded Cousins a four-year, $180 million contract before the 2024 season, only to bench him in the season's closing month in favor of Michael Penix Jr.

Fields' agility as a runner positions him as a prime backup choice. Given the Jets' two-year commitment to him, and the unlikelihood of other teams pursuing a trade, he may well find himself as the second-string quarterback.

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