Both things can be true for the New York Jets amid a season that is off the rails. They can still find a silver lining in playing Justin Fields, and they can at the same time regret the decision they made in turning to him as their next quarterback after they jettisoned Aaron Rodgers amid a regime change. New York has every incentive to play Fields from here on out because he’s not going to win you games — which means the worse he plays, the better draft selection the team will have in April.
It also means the Jets have to regret thinking he was the answer to their franchise woes. Fields has been terrible this year and a big part of the reason why this team has just two wins. The offense can’t move the ball or score consistently, and that’s on Fields. This season they were supposed to end their playoff woes and instead, they've extended their streak of regular-season failures.
The Jets are in the market for a quarterback once again this offseason and truthfully, they can thank Fields for that. Not only did he prove to them he’s not their answer, but he also proved that playing him can help them land their future franchise quarterback and avoid this carousel for good.
Justin Fields’ miserable season plays right into Jets’ dysfunction
It’s crazy to think that Fields’ first interception of the season came against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. He’s been playing so badly that you would think it would have come sooner. But Fields’ problem isn’t that he is reckless with the ball; in fact, it’s the fact that he’s too conservative. He holds on to the ball entirely too long and at the last second tries to bail out and run.
In three of the last four games, he’s looked putrid. Other than the shootout against the Cincinnati Bengals, he hasn't had more than 55 passing yards in a game. Yeah, it’s been that bad. During that same stretch, he was sacked a total of 15 times. His struggles, however, mean the Jets shouldn’t move off of him any time soon.
The best thing for them is to continue to lose and get as good of a draft pick as possible, a project that was aided by wins from the Saints and Dolphins. Fields inadvertently is helping the tank, and it could be his parting gift as this will probably be his last chance at starting in the NFL. The Jets need to stop playing around with veterans that are looking for a lifeline and start over.
That will probably be the best thing for Aaron Glenn as he continues to learn what it’s like being an NFL head coach. Tying himself to Fields is the quickest way to get himself fired. It’s not a guarantee that a rookie quarterback fixes this franchise, but a rookie won’t be worse either.
Who should the New York Jets turn to in the NFL Draft to end their quarterback woes?
The New York Jets should be eyeing Fernando Mendoza or Dante Moore as their next project and future franchise quarterback. Regardless of recency bias given their heroics this past Saturday, they’re the two quarterbacks that have most proved they’re ready to play in the NFL. Nothing against Ty Simpson, but he’s more of a developmental project than he is ready to rebuild a team like the Jets.
I would lean toward Mendoza over Moore. While Moore proved against Iowa that he has the ability to do whatever it takes to win the game, I think Mendoza has been more consistent between the two an will probably better fit the Jets offense. The good thing is that either player would walk into an offense that would benefit them.
With Mendoza and what he’s done at Indiana this past season, it’s hard to pass on him if you get the chance. That’s why Fields has to continue to lead this Jets team into the depths of the NFL standings. The closer they get to the No. 1 overall pick, the better chance they have of getting to Mendoza before a team like the New Orleans Saints.
That said, if Moore’s there, he’s a solid second option. The most important thing for the Jets is to use this season as a lesson for next year. They need to let the rest of this team work out the kinks so when their rookie comes in, it’s a smooth transition.