Jets finally put an end to the Justin Fields era with inevitable move

It had long felt inevitable that Justin Fields had already played his final game with the New York Jets. On Tuesday, that feeling was all but confirmed.

Jets head coach Aaron Glenn announced on Tuesday that Fields had officially been placed on season-ending injured reserve, insisting that the fifth-year quarterback's knee injury wasn't where the team hoped it would be. His 2025 season — and likely his Jets career — is over.

In reality, Fields’ injury is largely a formality. He had no interest in playing another game for the Jets this season, and that feeling was mutual. Both sides understood the situation at hand.

The Jets will move forward with undrafted rookie Brady Cook as their starter, Tyrod Taylor as their backup, and Hendon Hooker as QB3 on the practice squad for the final two games of the season. Fields' time in Florham Park is over.

Jets place Justin Fields on IR, officially ending his disappointing 2025 season

The Jets signed Fields to a two-year, $40 million contract in the offseason with the expectation that he would give the team a high-upside bridge starter. The team didn't sign him with the illusion that he would be the long-term quarterback solution, but he represented a higher-upside option than many of the other alternatives.

The Jets believed that, with the right coaching, they could maximize the playmaking ability Fields showed in Chicago while leaning into the game-manager tendencies he developed in Pittsburgh. The hope was to get the best of both worlds.

Unfortunately, that never happened. Fields put together the worst season of his NFL career, throwing for under 50 yards in four of his nine starts before finally, mercifully, being benched in favor of Taylor.

There was some talk that Fields could return to the starting lineup following an injury to Taylor, but the Jets opted to roll with Cook instead. Fields suddenly developed a phantom "knee injury," one that is apparently significant enough to end his season prematurely.

Reports emerged around the time of his benching that Fields was reluctant to be used in a Wildcat role and preferred to play exclusively as the starting quarterback. That stance likely sealed his fate.

The Jets had no interest in playing a quarterback who was reluctant to take the field, and Fields himself didn’t appear especially motivated to play again. Both sides were well aware that his days in Florham Park were numbered.

The Jets are expected to move on from Fields in the offseason, with the former Ohio State star owed $10 million in guaranteed money. It’s a costly decision, but one the team appears willing to accept.

The Justin Fields era in New York has come to an end in fitting fashion. Quiet, anticlimactic, and ultimately emblematic of a failed experiment that never truly got off the ground.