Analyst shares worrisome stats relating to Jets’ Justin Fields
The New York Jets primarily bought a lottery ticket relating to their quarterback state of affairs once they signed Justin Fields to a two-year, $40M cope with $30M assured again in March.
For a bit printed Tuesday, ESPN NFL analyst Invoice Barnwell shared some worrisome stats relating to Fields’ stints with the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers.
“He has taken sacks on practically 12% of his dropbacks as a professional, performs that normally kill drives,” Barnwell mentioned about Fields. “His 40.9% success price as a passer ranks twenty fourth out of 25 quarterbacks with at the least 1,200 dropbacks over the previous 4 seasons, per NFL Subsequent Gen Stats. With all of these detrimental or impartial performs, he has to provide large performs to outlive as an NFL passer.”
The Bears hoped Fields would do greater than “survive as an NFL passer” once they made him the eleventh total choose of the 2021 draft. He as a substitute gained solely 10 of 38 begins with the membership, and he additionally took extra sacks (135) and dedicated extra fumbles (38) than another quarterback from 2021 to 2023.
Extra just lately, Fields went 4-2 as a starter for the 2024 Steelers as veteran Russell Wilson recovered from a lingering calf damage. Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin nonetheless began Wilson from Week 7 by way of a wild-card playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens, and Tomlin seemingly did not lose any sleep about letting Fields go away by way of free company this offseason.
With the Jets, Fields will probably be working with 42-year-old offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand. Engstrand beforehand served because the Detroit Lions’ passing sport coordinator, the place he discovered beneath then-offensive coordinator and present Bears head coach Ben Johnson.
For a unique article posted on Tuesday, ESPN Jets reporter Wealthy Cimini talked about that “Engstrand’s greatest adjustment will probably be transitioning from Jared Goff, a pocket passer with little mobility, to Justin Fields, a dynamic runner.” Engstrand and Co. will wish to make the most of all of Fields’ athletic items, however it is believed the Jets might flip to backup Tyrod Taylor if the 26-year-old fails to indicate vital enchancment as a passer.
The Jets’ 2025 bye arrives in Week 9, and the Gang Inexperienced teaching workers might use that break to get Taylor prepared to begin in opposition to the Cleveland Browns on Nov. 9. In brief, Fields could solely have eight video games to show he is the perfect total participant within the Jets’ quarterback room this fall.
