Once hailed as the next big thing in the Windy City, Justin Fields looked like a future superstar when he entered the league. Back in 2022, SI and plenty of others didn’t shy away from putting him in the “Top 5 QB” conversation. That hype train moved fast. Sure, it got the fans going…and even the analysts. Plus, the Bears thought they had their guy. But four years and two teams later, the shine’s worn off. Now in New York, where every throw gets analyzed, Fields can’t outrun the doubts. His inconsistency (the numbers don’t lie) is casting a long shadow over Gang Green’s future.

That said, Fields wasn’t always this polarizing. Back at Ohio State, he turned heads and broke records. As a freshman, he torched Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game and led the Buckeyes like a seasoned pro. Not only did he win big, but he also stacked accolades: third in the Heisman race, Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, and first-team all-conference. And in the NFL, he etched his name into the record books as the only QB to run for three 50-plus yard TDs in regular season history. Still, that explosiveness hasn’t translated to wins. Which is why Jets defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is now getting hit with a mixed bag when it comes to his quarterback update.

Moreover, NFL reporter Nick Faria put it bluntly on The Manchild Show with Boy Green. “It is really easy to fall in love with Justin Fields, the person. Everything off the field, he looks like a franchise quarterback. Problem is, you can’t be a franchise quarterback with just off the field things. You have to be able to win on the field.”

That leads to the core of the issue—processing speed. Fields still holds the ball too long, struggles to read defenses quickly, and fails to throw with anticipation. And these weren’t just college habits lingering into the NFL. According to Faria, the same things showed up again at Jets minicamp. “Similar things happen at minicamp. You saw it happen where some of the issues he had where he was late on some of his throws, he was late in his processing. That was happening at minicamp.”

Yet, not everyone has given up on him. Fields still has the arm talent, no question. When he sets his feet and makes a quick decision, the ball flies out with force and precision. “I can’t unsee what I’ve seen. A lot of the things I saw at minicamp were similar things that he struggled with at the NFL level to this point. So there were certainly some good things. That arm is locked and loaded. When he is on target, when he is decisive, he can be a pretty damn good starting quarterback.” And interestingly, despite the flaws, some inside The Big Apple’s locker room can’t help but spot a little bit of Aaron Rodgers in him.

Fields or fluke? The Jets locker room sees a different QB in 2025

Sauce Gardner can’t forget how the Jets had to prep for the Steelers last season. With Week 7 on the horizon, it wasn’t even clear who’d start—Russell Wilson or Justin Fields. “Fields had gone 4-2 in six starts,” Gardner recalled, as Wilson nursed a calf injury. But now, it’s not about who’s available. It’s about who’s evolving—and Fields might just be leveling up.

In fact, Sauce didn’t hold back while breaking it all down on the McAfee Show. “There’s only a certain amount of quarterbacks that can make [certain throws],” he said. “I’m talking about throws on, like, Aaron [Rodgers’] type of level. When it comes to being able to squeeze those throws in there, I always thought Aaron was the best when it came to that. And it’s like Justin had made a few throws where I’m like, ‘OK, he really been in the lab, for real.’” That’s big praise from a guy who’s seen Rodgers up close.

What’s more, Gardner believes Fields’ youth is a secret weapon. “Him being younger as well, like me being able to say certain things and him being able to say certain things about each of our games — I can just tell he’s been locked in, in terms of tape, in terms of the playbook, in terms of everything.”

And if that quote doesn’t sum it up, nothing will. Fields is evolving. The raw talent was never in doubt, but now he’s putting in the quiet, unglamorous hours that turn potential into production. Like Sauce summed it up: “He made a few throws in OTAs that I’m like, ‘Yo, I did not know he was capable of making this throw.'” OTAs don’t win games, but for Fields, they’re laying the groundwork for something bigger. Maybe this is finally the year the light stays on.