The New York Jets made a starting quarterback switch this offseason, going from Aaron Rodgers to Justin Fields.
ESPN’s Seth Walder said it was a “wise” move to take “a long shot on Fields, giving them a quarterback who is probably a one-year fill-in but with the upside to be more. This was preferable to trying to hang on to mediocrity with Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins, or Matthew Stafford — who are all at the end of their careers and, in Stafford’s case, would have cost more than Fields.”
Those three alternative QB options that Walder mentioned are 41, 36, and 37 years of age. For better or for worse, we know exactly who each of those players is at this stage of their career. The same can’t be said for Fields, who is still only 26 years of age.
He remains an unfinished canvas that the Jets believe they can fully unlock in 2025.
Walder Shares Intimate Details About Jets Offseason in His Report Card
On Thursday, July 10, Walder published a column for ESPN, grading every NFL team’s offseason ahead of training camp.
The Jets received a B letter grade for their offseason. That was the 12th highest grade of any team in the league.
Walder called the hiring of head coach Aaron Glenn the “biggest move” of the offseason. The move that he liked the most was the signing of Fields at the QB spot.
“The most important part of the Jets’ offseason was them recognizing they needed to reset. It started with a full regime change — Glenn as coach and Darren Mougey as general manager — a given after Woody Johnson rashly fired Robert Saleh after five games in 2024 and followed up by firing GM Joe Douglas shortly after,” Walder said.
Saleh was the seventh head coach of the Woody Johnson era. He bought the team in the year 2000. For the first time under his ownership, he fired a head coach in the middle of the season following the team’s 23-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 5 in London.
There were other free agent moves that Walder liked from the Jets and some that he had questions about.
Walder admitted the Jets made a “fine deal” to bring back linebacker Jamien Sherwood on a three-year $45 million contract. He called the signing of safety Andre Cisco a “reasonable one-year deal.”
However, the Jets’ decision to swap out D.J. Reed for Brandon Stephens at the cornerback spot left much to be desired from Walder.
“The $12 million per year and $23 million fully guaranteed they gave to cornerback Brandon Stephens, a downgrade from the departed D.J. Reed, felt too costly,” Walder explained.
During the 2025 NFL draft, the Jets invested the No. 7 overall pick back into the offensive line.
“New York used its first draft pick on offensive tackle Armand Membou, helping build what could turn into a very strong offensive line to presumably support Fields or another QB,” Walder said.
Lingering Questions Walder Has for the Jets
Finally, Walder also revealed the move that he disliked from the Jets: “Not extending WR Garrett Wilson and CB Sauce Gardner.”
“Two major questions remain: Will the Jets sign Wilson and/or Gardner to extensions? Since both are coming off down seasons after previously demonstrating elite ability, this is when the Jets should work out a deal — hoping to get a slight discount on what they might pay a year from now. But as with all contracts, it takes two to tango,” Walder explained.
Is Gardner coming off a down season? It’s inarguable that he is.
Through Gardner’s first two seasons, he was named a first-team All-Pro. In 2024, he was not. However, the Wilson criticism feels unwarranted.
He isn’t coming off a down year; as a matter of fact, Wilson is coming off a career year. The former Ohio State product set new career highs in receptions (101), receiving yards (1,104), touchdowns (seven), first downs (60), and catch percentage (65.6%).
To Walder’s lingering questions, the offseason isn’t over yet. There is still time for the Jets to sign one, if not both players, to long-term extensions.
Gardner and Wilson have both expressed a desire to be with the franchise for the foreseeable future.
Jets Praised for Justin Fields Signing, Upgrading From QB ‘Mediocrity’