Darren Mougey says the quiet part out loud about Justin Fields' Jets future

The New York Jets' braintrust of Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey met the media on Tuesday afternoon at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. It was the first time Glenn and Mougey had spoken since their end-of-season press conference following the 2025 season.

One of the biggest decisions the Jets will make this offseason is what they decide to do at quarterback for 2026. What the quarterback room will look like is still to be determined, but one thing that feels certain is Justin Fields won't be returning for a second season with the team.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Mougey mentioned how Fields is still under contract, and there aren't any trigger dates that force them to make a decision by a set deadline. The second-year general manager went on to say that the organization is evaluating all options at the position.

Read between the lines, and these words from Mougey shouldn't come as a surprise at all. Fields' days as a Jet are numbered.

Justin Fields' Jets future in doubt after Darren Mougey's comments

Shocker. This time last year, the Jets were in the same situation they are in now, looking for a bridge quarterback. Following a disastrous 2024 season with Aaron Rodgers under center, New York elected to take a swing on Fields.

When the move was made, it was, in theory, a smart decision for the Jets. Fields entered the season at just 25 years old, and the hope was that he would be able to finally find his footing in the NFL with the Jets being his third team in five years.

The best-case scenario was Fields, who the Jets gave $30 million guaranteed to, would have a career resurgence donning the green & white, while the worst-case scenario was that if it didn't work out, then New York would find someone new in 2026.

In typical Jets fashion, the worst-case scenario played out. In just nine starts, Fields completed 62.7% of his passes for 1,259 yards, seven touchdowns, and one interception. The Ohio State product also tallied a career low 6.2 yards per attempt.

With Fields under center, the Jets averaged just 139.9 passing yards per game, which would have been the lowest by an NFL team since the 2022 Chicago Bears, who also had Fields under center.

The numbers don't even tell the whole story, though; the eye test on Fields was even worse. The former first-round pick continuously had a hard time reading defenses, resulting in him holding onto the football for way too long.

Fields also had a tendency to avoid stretching the field and instead opt for the conservative passes, which he also had a hard time completing.

From his on-field performance to Woody Johnson coming out and publicly bashing him, to his mid-season benching, it's safe to say Fields won't be around much longer.

The challenge for Darren Mougey and the Jets is now to try to find a competent NFL-level starting quarterback for the 2026 season.

Whether it's via free agency, trade, or the draft, the Jets desperately need help at the position, and Glenn and Mougey desperately need stability at the position for their jobs.