The New York Jets have been struggling this season, and a lot of blame goes to quarterback Justin Fields, who has been failing to lead the team to victories. Yet when the team decided to bench him, he found it quite surprising, sharing his thoughts on it ahead of the Week 13 game against the Atlanta Falcons.
Justin Fields Finally Opens Up About Getting Benched
Fields and his crew haven’t put up an impressive performance this season. So, in Week 12, Jets coach Aaron Glenn decided to bench him and handed the command to Tyrod Taylor.
However, the change didn’t bring a huge improvement to their offense, which is currently ranking No. 28 on PFSN’s Offense Impact with a 64.2 score. And eventually, the team suffered a 10-23 defeat against the Baltimore Ravens.
As the team prepares for the Falcons, Taylor will once again start. While many had anticipated this move after seeing the 26-year-old’s performance so far, Fields himself didn’t see it coming and was surprised when he was benched last week. He was shocked by Glenn’s decision, but he remains optimistic about his future.
“The first day it happens, it’s tough,” Fields said. “It probably took me a day and a half to fully accept my role. Then last Friday, I felt myself in kind of a ‘Damn’ moment to where it was like, ‘Yeah, it’s actually real.’
“You kind of just have to look at life from a positive perspective. I’m blessed to be in this position, and I know I’m going to get another shot. That’s all that matters at the end of the day. So, when I do, I just have to be prepared for that moment, be the best player I’ve ever been on the field.”
Many fans may find it surprising that Fields is surprised; after all, math hasn’t been on his side for years. His record in the NFL as a starting quarterback is 16-37 since he was drafted in the first round by the Chicago Bears in 2021. And this season with the Jets, he has gone 2-7 and ranks No. 28 on PFSN’s QB Impact.
Fields is going through a tough season, and now sitting outside the field for two consecutive games seems discouraging. However, the setback, the Jets QB believes, would help him become better.
“I mean, I just know who I am as a person, as a football player, as a hard worker,” Fields said. “I think I know I have the mindset and the skill to attain that. I just feel like I need to do it on a more consistent basis, but that’s just what it is. It’s the ups and downs of life, and I’m in a valley right now. But it’s not going to do anything but make me stronger on the back end of it.”
While Taylor is going to lead the Jets offense against the Falcons this Sunday, it will be interesting to see if Fields could get his starting job back. And if he could improve his stats and reputation as a quarterback.