Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields is unlikely to be on his current team, the New York Jets, next season after being benched midseason while the team struggled to find success on offense.
Fields is still under contract after signing a two-year deal in the 2025 offseason, but the expectation is that New York will move on, leaving his NFL future in question.
“Chances are, the Jets will have an all-encompassing plan: acquire a veteran or two (perhaps Malik Willis or Kirk Cousins), release Justin Fields and draft a quarterback with the No. 16 or No. 33 pick,” wrote ESPN’s Rich Cimini.
With the expectation that the Jets will move on from the 26-year-old quarterback, the Steelers were recently listed as the “best landing spot” for Fields in the 2026 offseason by Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report.
“The Steelers don’t have a long-term answer at quarterback and could use a veteran starter if Aaron Rodgers isn’t willing to return. Fields wouldn’t be coming back to the exact same situation after Mike Tomlin stepped down as head coach, but he would have some familiarity with the organization and the roster.”
GettyQB Justin Fields.
Fields Had Some Success With Pittsburgh
Although Fields is coming off a 2–7 season as a starter with New York, he found more success with Pittsburgh in 2024, going 4–2 as a starter before being benched for Russell Wilson.
Because of his performance in 2024, the Steelers offered a contract to Fields in an attempt to bring him back for the 2025 season before he ultimately landed with the Jets, according to Aditi Kinkhabwala of CBS Sports during the 2025 offseason.
“Talked to multiple personnel execs who expressed zero surprise at Jets giving Justin Fields two year-$40M deal. He’s smart, a hard worker and athletic enough to run. Steelers coaches very tangibly improved his footwork and taught him how to see the field better. I’m told Steelers’ offer didn’t guarantee any money after first year.”
Due to his familiarity with the team and the Steelers’ potential need for a veteran presence in the quarterback room, Fields could be a name to watch if he leaves New York this offseason. There may be added interest, as the Steelers offered him a contract just last year.
GettyJustin Fields went 4-2 as a starter in 2024 with Steelers.
Fields Showed Sparks in 2025, Consistency Was the Problem
Although the Jets went 2–7 with Fields as the starter, there were multiple games where he showed he could lead an NFL offense to a high-scoring performance, but other games where that did not happen, highlighting that consistency was the issue in 2025.
For example, with Fields as the starter, the Jets put up 32 points against the Steelers and 39 points against the Cincinnati Bengals. However, low-scoring performances in games where Fields played all four quarters included 9 points against the Denver Broncos and 14 points against the New England Patriots.
Notably, the Jets struggled even more when Fields wasn’t starting, going 1–7 with other starting quarterbacks and ending the regular season with a 3–14 record overall.
Yes, Fields played a part in New York’s lack of success, but he was also not given much to work with on a Jets team that had a historically bad season, especially considering that star wide receiver Garrett Wilson and the quarterback appeared in only six games together, some of which were not full games due to injuries.
GettyFields will likely not return to the Jets next season.
Steelers Considered Best Landing Spot for Justin Fields