Justin Fields benching doesn't need to be permanent (but it is necessary)

Justin Fields belongs nowhere on an NFL field at this very moment. That has become increasingly obvious with every inept performance from the New York Jets quarterback over the last few weeks.

The Jets finally pulled the plug on the Fields experiment at halftime of the team's 13-6 loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 7, inserting Tyrod Taylor into the game for the second half.

While Taylor didn’t lead the Jets to a win and made his share of mistakes, the offense at least functioned better with him under center. With Taylor, the Jets can run what looks like a normal, if still bad, NFL offense. With Fields, they can’t even manage that.

Fields is clearly more talented than what he’s shown over the past couple of games, but the reality is unavoidable. The Ohio State product is mentally overwhelmed and completely in his own head right now. He simply cannot be the Jets’ quarterback at this stage.

The Jets could eventually start Justin Fields again down the line

But just because Taylor almost certainly has to start for the Jets in Week 8 doesn’t mean the team can’t eventually turn back to Fields. His benching is necessary, but it doesn’t have to be permanent.

It's better for the sake of both Fields and the Jets if the fifth-year quarterback is given a few weeks to recalibrate, get out of his own head, and regain some confidence in his decision-making.

A short break could allow him to reset mentally, review film with fresh eyes, and return sharper, more poised, and ready to lead the offense without the weight of recent struggles hanging over him.

Is that a guarantee? Not at all. Fields has consistently struggled with the same shortcomings that have derailed his Jets tenure — slow processing, taking too many sacks, etc. — throughout his career. He isn't going to magically become a good starting quarterback if benched for a few weeks.

But he's better than this. Fields has put together three of the worst starts of his NFL career in his six games with the Jets this season. His struggles are as much about confidence and mental sharpness as they are about on-field performance at the moment.

The Jets should turn to Taylor for their Week 8 game against the Bengals and evaluate the quarterback position again coming out of their bye the following week. Give Fields time to reset and allow Taylor an opportunity to prove he should be the starter.

Justin Fields’ benching on Sunday was a long-overdue and necessary move by Aaron Glenn, but contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t have to be a death sentence for his Jets career. A multi-week reset could be exactly what he needs to regain his confidence and recalibrate his game

But until that happens, it must be Tyrod Taylor time.