The starting quarterback for the New York Jets, Justin Fields, went down with a concussion in just his second game with the team. The Jets are 0-3 with a pair of heartbreaking losses coming by way of a game winning field goal.
Head coach Aaron Glenn has revealed to the media that the team will not be rushing the 26-year-old back from injury. However, ESPN insider Dan Graziano revealed on Wednesday that there might be more to the story than the head coach is letting on.
We haven’t heard a ton of information on the Week 4 status of Jets quarterback Justin Fields, who missed Sunday’s game because of a concussion suffered in the Week 2 loss to Buffalo,” Graziano writes. “Coach Aaron Glenn said Monday that he wants ‘to make sure I know exactly where Justin is at’ in his recovery. What little information I’ve been able to gather leads me to believe that Fields’ recovery from concussion protocol hasn’t been easy, and that there remains a chance he could miss another game.”
The benefit for Fields and the Jets is that they have an extra day this week to get their guys healthy. Even then, having a quarterback who is firmly planted on the injury report heading into Thursday is not what any team wants.
The Jets don’t play until Monday night against the Dolphins this week, so we might not get an injury update from the team until Thursday, when New York returns to practice,” Graziano concludes. “The flip slide is it gives Fields an extra day to get cleared. But regardless, he’ll have to clear each step in the concussion protocol (in order) before he is allowed to play.”
Is The Job Still Fields’?
The insiders also discussed whether or not the job is still Justin’s when he returns. As Aaron Glenn has come out to adamantly silence any rumors, Jeremy Fowler says this offense is built for Fields and doesn’t think they will turn away from him this soon.
I would be surprised if the Jets turn away from Fields this early, assuming he’s healthy,” Fowler writes. “They know Fields had an uneven training camp from a passing standpoint but felt that he turned things around late in the preseason with a string of good practices leading into Week 1. They are hoping Week 2 was an aberration.”
So while he thinks that Fields will return to his starting role, Fowler does warn that Tyrod Taylor could step in at any time.
In theory, the Jets have a running offense, which can work well with Fields as the dual-threat option with Breece Hall and Braelon Allen in the backfield,” Fowler concludes. “New York can turn to Taylor at any time — Week 6, Week 10, he’s always ready as a viable option. But money also typically speaks in these situations. The Jets are paying Fields $20 million in cash in 2025. Give him time to earn that.”
Justin Fields Injury History
The good news for the young gun slinger is that this is his first recorded concussion in his post high school football career. Though his injury history is extensive, it does not include any significant blows to the head.
According to Draft Sharks, the concussion suffered a week and a half ago was a grade one concussion. It marks the eighth game he has missed due to injury since being drafted in 2021.
A dislocated thumb put him on the sideline for four games in 2023, while sporadic rib, shoulder, and hip injuries forced him to miss a game each in his first three seasons.
Insider Reveals Bad News On Jets’ Starting QB’s Injury Recovery