“I want our guys to play. That’s the reason,” Aaron Glenn told reporters before the Jets’ preseason opener, making it clear why Justin Fields and other key players would be a part of his playbook. The Jets are going to work for every ounce of progress, even in August. And when the lights came on against the Packers, Justin Fields backed up that philosophy. The result? 30-10.

Green Bay that felt bigger than the scoreboard. In Florham Park, this wasn’t just another preseason W. It was the opening chapter of what Glenn hopes is going to be the beginning of a culture shift. Earlier this month on The Pat McAfee Show, Sauce Gardner didn’t mince words. He called Justin Fields’ throws “Aaron-type level,” the kind that cut through tight windows most quarterbacks wouldn’t even try. And sure enough! The preseason opener put that on display.

But as much as the night belonged to Fields, Aaron Glenn has been dealing with a battle involving running back Breece Hall, with questions surfacing about whether a contract extension is really in the cards for the Jets’ No. 20. A post on X stirred the pot, highlighting that “people close to the situation believe the Jets could move Breece Hall by the trade deadline.” Who are they going forward with then? Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis. Against the Packers, Allen flashed in eight carries for 33 yards at 4.1 per pop.

Tony Pauline writes: “Allen, a second-year back who was a fourth-round selection in 2024, surprised everyone last season and played beyond expectations. Davis, a favorite of this coaching staff, has been more than serviceable as a rotational back.”

Davis, meanwhile, was a fifth-round pick last year who turned limited work into real numbers: 174 yards and a touchdown on just 30 carries. That 5.8 yards per carry? Well above Hall’s 4.2 and Allen’s 3.6 from a season ago. Hall had been told he was in the Jets’ plans by the head coach, despite coming off a 2024 season of 876 rushing yards and five scores. Although now, the whispers of a shift feel louder than ever. Even with all this backfield drama, the Jets got a real boost over the weekend.

As NFL analyst Will Parkinson shared on X, Jermaine Johnson is coming off the PUP list Monday (August 11) and will be back at practice Tuesday after rehabbing an Achilles injury. That’s huge—New York logged four sacks in the opener without him, and now he returns to lead a pass rush that’s riding on him and Will McDonald IV. The defense looks ready. The bigger mystery? What this offense, under Aaron Glenn and Justin Fields, will really look like when the dust settles.

Aaron Glenn leans on Jets’ RB room to build a dangerous offense

Justin Fields’ preseason return wasn’t just about his own flawless game. After all, his performance has already been spilling into national coverage. He worked the field and the players around him. Against Green Bay, he led the Jets on a methodical 10-play, 79-yard drive capped by a decisive 13-yard touchdown run. It wasn’t a solo act, either. From Breece Hall setting the tone on the ground, to Braelon Allen’s cutback creating chunk yardage, to Isaiah Davis subtly occupying defenders, Fields made the Jets’ entire backfield part of the action.

“We kind of knew their underneath defenders got a lot of depth,” Fields said. “My biggest thing was just taking what the defense gave me.” That approach showed up in how Fields dissected the Packers’ middle coverage. He opened with a third-and-5 conversion to Tyler Johnson, found fullback Andrew Beck with a 12-yarder short pass, then hit Beck again for 24 more after an Allen run. When the Packers pressed, Fields stayed composed, stepping up instead of bailing early. HC Aaron Glenn noted, “There were a couple of shot plays that we called, and he did a really good job just taking what the defense gave him.” 

On his touchdown run, Davis’ fake “receiver mode” stance kept his cover occupied, a small detail that made a big play possible. The balance was undeniable: Hall ran three times for nine yards, Allen added 14, and Fields chipped in 14 more on the ground. Through the air, he went 3-for-4 for 42 yards, his only miss coming on a sideline throw to Garrett Wilson. For the Jets’ new QB1, it was close to the perfect opening and a warning that if you turn your back on Fields to watch his running backs, you might not like what happens next.