New York Jets general manager Darren Mougey thinks Justin Fields can be the next great quarterback comeback story.
Over the past several years, a number of quarterbacks labeled busts have revitalized their careers by finding themselves in the right situation at the right time. A former first-round pick of the Chicago Bears, Fields struggled in Chicago, but had something of a comeback as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Mougey said Wednesday that he has seen Fields’s growth and potential to be a star.
“I would say the operation,” Mougey responded.
“I’ve seen it improve every day. And specifically this past week, I think we’ve really seen good rhythm out at practice with the offense, a balanced attack, some runs, some passes,” he said.
“But just the overall operation, the command, his leadership, obviously, [he was] named a captain, as many of you found out this morning. Seeing that growth has been really good.”
The Jets have built a reliable cast of skill position players to help Fields succeed. The running back room is headlined by fourth-year veteran Breece Hall and bruiser Braelon Allen, along with young contributor Isaiah Davis and veteran Kene Nwangwu.
At wide receiver, the Jets are led by Garrett Wilson, Fields’ teammate from his college days at Ohio State. Allen Lazard and Josh Reynolds bring a combined 16 years of NFL experience between them. They also have speedy return specialist Xavier Gipson and rookie speedster Arian Smith, along with fourth-year pro Irvin Charles.
At tight end, fourth-year veterans Jeremy Ruckert and Stone Smartt are the leaders in the room. Mason Taylor, son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Jason Taylor, was the team’s second-round pick in this year’s draft. Journeyman Andrew Beck is the fullback.
Mougey said those pieces will be critical to Fields’s success.
“I feel really good about the pieces around him,” he said.
“And it starts in that running back room, those guys next to him. It starts with Garrett in the wideout room we just talked about, as well as the tight end room,” he said.
“I think we’ve seen production from all those guys throughout camp, and I look forward to seeing how that evolves and continues to progress throughout the season.”
Fields is looking to revive a career that floundered early on. Drafted 11th overall by the Chicago Bears in 2021, Fields established himself as a dual threat early, but struggled behind a poor offensive line: he was sacked 36 times in his rookie season; an NFL-worst 55 times in 2022, and 44 times in 2023.
In three seasons in Chicago, he went 10-28 as a starter and threw 40 touchdowns to 30 interceptions. But he added 14 touchdowns rushing in that same span, and became the third quarterback in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season in 2022.
Fields was replaced by 2024 first overall pick Caleb Williams and traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He filled in for starter Russell Wilson in the first six weeks of the season, throwing for 1,106 yards and five touchdowns with one interception, and adding 289 rushing yards and five TDs. He had a career high in completion percentage (65.8) and passer rating (93.3), was sacked only 16 times, and posted a 4-2 record, including three straight wins.
Now on his third team in three seasons, Fields is looking to join quarterbacks like Geno Smith, Sam Darnold, and Baker Mayfield, all of whom rebuilt their careers in the last few seasons. Mougey said Wednesday that he believes Fields can add his name to that list.
“I do believe Justin can be one of those guys,” he said.
“I’ve seen the progress during this camp and look forward to seeing the progress throughout the season as they all come together. Obviously, it’s his third stop in three years with three different coordinators and a lot of moving parts,” he said.
“So, it does take time, but I like where it’s at and and and I look forward to watching the progress.”
