Many believe the New York Jets took a big gamble this offseason when they signed quarterback Justin Fields to a two-year, $40 million contract.
Fields had a strong showing last season for the Pittsburgh Steelers, passing for 1,106 yards, five touchdowns and an interception, and rushing for 289 yards and five more scores while leading them to a 4-2 record.
However, he was benched in Week 7 for Russell Wilson, and despite the 36-year-old’s struggles—he was 6-6 as Pittsburgh’s starter including the playoffs and he threw for more than 275 yards just twice—Fields never got another shot to run the offense.
But the former No. 11 overall pick showed enough skill to garner free-agent interest from several teams outside of the Steelers, and first-year Jets head coach Aaron Glenn is a firm believer in what Fields brings to the table.
“He’s a really good athlete, he works his butt off in the weight room,” Glenn said, via Sports Illustrated. “He’s a guy that’s doing everything he can to improve, and whatever advantage he can get from coaching, strength & conditioning, being on the field, he’s going to take that advantage and he’s going to run with it, so I’m very happy where he’s at.”
But should the Jets get the 2021 version of Fields, who struggled to complete 58% of his passes and threw more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (seven), it’s possible they pull the trigger quickly on finding a suitable replacement.
If that happens, Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon believes the Atlanta Falcons have a $180 million backup in Kirk Cousins who could be solid fit in New York.
“Any contender that loses its QB to an injury could be in on [Cousins], despite the high price tag,” Gagnon wrote. “Since it’s impossible to speculate on injuries, though, let’s instead throw out a Jets team that has a considerable amount of salary-cap space and could well give up on Justin Fields by November.
“The Jets also employ senior football advisor Rick Spielman, who is connected to Cousins from their shared time in Minnesota. If the increasingly desperate Jets are competitive in spite of Fields at that stage, dealing for an established veteran from the NFC could make some sense.”
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Like Fields, Cousins was also benched last season.
The 36-year-old Cousins went 7-7 as Atlanta’s starter before giving way to No. 8 overall pick Michael Penix Jr. Cousins threw for 3,508 yards and 18 touchdowns, but he also had a career-high 16 interceptions and his 88.6 passer rating was his lowest since he became a full-time starter in 2015.
If Fields struggles and the Jets are still in the playoff race around the NFL‘s Nov. 4 trade deadline, Cousins could be a player to watch.
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