There's a role for Justin Fields in the NFL, but it's become increasingly clear that role isn't "starting quarterback." Players good enough to be long-term starters in the NFL don't get benched by a two-win team for 36-year-old Tyrod Taylor, who hasn't even been good when he's played this season. That that happened to Fields should be the final piece of evidence needed to come to the conclusion that he's not going to be The Guy somewhere.
But NFL players are nothing if not extremely confident in their own abilities, so when Fields was asked this week if he still viewed himself as a starter, he was very clear that he did. That's his right, of course! Never give up on yourself, etc., etc., etc., but at the same time, it feels like there needs to be some level of self-awareness about his situation.
Justin Fields needs to embrace who he is
Fields is very unlikely to find another shot to be a starter in the NFL. It's possible to understand that fact while still having faith in his ability to be an impactful player in some way, but Fields doesn't seem ready to admit that to himself.
Here's the rest of the quote from ESPN where Fields talks about his quarterback ability: “I mean, I just know who I am as a person, as a football player, as a hard worker. I think I know I have the mindset and the skill to attain that. I just feel like I need to do it on a more consistent basis, but that’s just what it is. It’s the ups and downs of life and I’m in a — quote-unquote — valley right now. But it’s not going to do anything but make me stronger on the back end of it.”
There's truth to that! Fields has flashed some high-end potential, but his inability to do so consistently has been the hallmark of his NFL career. But we're now in Year 5.
Justin Fields needs to accept his NFL reality
We're on his third team. He's started 53 NFL games and has averaged just under one passing touchdown per game. He's currently got the second-highest completion percentage of his career, but that only ranks 23rd in the league this season.
He's basically stopped throwing interceptions over the past two years, but part of that is because he stopped throwing the ball deep, as he ranks 32nd among NFL quarterbacks in average air yards per attempt. Compare that to his last year in Chicago when he was 11th in aDOT but threw nine interceptions.
So, who is Justin Fields? He's a capable backup quarterback whose athleticism means that a smart head coach can scheme up a selection of plays for him to take advantage of that athleticism. But if he's going to make "starting somewhere" his focus in the offseason, he's not going to wind up on a team that can do that for him. C
hasing a starting spot might wind up negatively impacting Fields' NFL career when he could be a fascinating somewhere like Kansas City, where Andy Reid could have a lot of fun putting together packages for him, or somewhere like San Francisco or either Los Angeles team, where he'd step into a solid situation with a coaching staff that could utilize him well if the starter went down with injury.
Alas, if Fields is chasing after a starting role, he'll probably wind up somewhere like...well, IDK! What's even a possibility? Atlanta, considering the Michael Penix Jr. injury situation? The Cardinals if they miss out on the top three quarterbacks in this class? See how thinking you're a starter can actually hurt your career, since none of those places are going to set him up well long term?