Former NFL Doctor Predicts Justin Fields Injury Return After Jets QB Carted Off at Training Camp

When the Jets signed Justin Fields in the offseason, no one really knew what to expect. According to many, the guy has been as inconsistent as they come. But one thing was clear: this is his redemption arc. For a man who was poised to be a top 5 QB in his college days? This is where he gets to make it right. A second attempt. A chance to prove he’s not just a ‘bridge‘ quarterback. But just as he geared up to finally change his story, it took a gut-wrenching turn.

Fields went down hard during an 11-on-11 drill, and the sight of him being carted off felt big. Fans feared the all-too-familiar heartbreak of another season derailed before it even began. Achilles’ rumours made it worse. And now? A former NFL doctor came out with a return prediction. Let’s just say: His return? Not when you’d expect.

When Justin Fields hobbled off the field on just the second day of Jets training camp, the Jets fans obviously expected the worst (they’re used to it, after all). But according to former NFL team physician Dr. David J. Chao, the injury is not as bad as it seems. It’s a dislocated toe, he said.

“It’s not the big toe,” Dr. Chao clarified, which is a big relief for Aaron Glenn. He added that a QB generates about half his push-off power from the big toe; that kind of injury could’ve meant real trouble. Any other toe (preferably the pinky toe)? Much easier road back. If recovery stays on track, he said, “six weeks to Week 1” isn’t just possible—it’s realistic. In fact, he added, “I wouldn’t write him off for Week 1 at all.”

Dr. Daniel Kaplan from NYU Langone backed that up too, telling The Post that if it’s not the big toe, we’re likely looking at a much quicker recovery. In his words, these kinds of injuries can often heal in just one to two weeks.

The Jets made it official, too. Justin Fields has a dislocated toe, no fracture, and he’s considered day-to-day. For a team that’s lived through the worst with QBs in recent years, that’s great news. Just think back to Aaron Rodgers’ Achilles in 2023 or Zach Wilson’s knee in 2022. This time, Coach Aaron Glenn explained it was just an unfortunate accident—Fields got stepped on during an 11-on-11 rollout. Nothing major, nothing long-term. For once, the Jets might’ve dodged the bullet. So, how did it really happen, and why did the fans fear the worst?

Why the fans expected the worst when Fields went down

You know how, when you’re playing backyard ball with your friends and one of them goes down screaming? You start to think, ‘Should we call an ambulance? The guy probably tore his ACL.’ Yeah, that’s pretty much what happened with Justin Fields on the second day of training camp.

The toe injury really came out of nowhere. Justin Fields was just doing his thing during an 11-on-11 drill—rolling right, looking downfield, launching one toward Jeremy Ruckert—when suddenly, he went down, screaming. No big hit, no awkward twist. Just a grimace, a drop to the turf, and that gut-punch feeling every Jets fan knows too well.

Coach Aaron Glenn later said it looked like someone stepped on Fields’ right foot mid-throw. Trainers rushed over, and before anyone could process what was happening, he was in the tent and then being carted off. It was one of those moments where time kind of freezes, and all you can think is, “Not again.”

And expecting the worst seemed fair when you look at Fields’ injury history. In his first three seasons bouncing between Chicago and Pittsburgh, he’s dealt with just about everything: shoulder, ribs, hip, ankle, even a messed-up thumb. So when he went down this time, yeah, it was hard not to panic a little.

But in the grand scheme? A not-the-big-toe injury—especially one that’s already being called “day-to-day”—might be the best-case scenario for a guy with that kind of history. Scary in the moment, but all signs point to this one being more of a speed bump than a season destroyer.