RELATED: See other important free-agent moves here.
Justin Fields Contract Terms
The Jets will, in fact, not be rolling with Tyrod Taylor. After making a few starts in Chicago and Pittsburgh, Justin Fields is signing a two-year contract with the New York Jets worth up to $40 million, including $30 million in guarantees, to be the Jets' starter.
Fantasy Impact
Justin Fields has proven to us on many occasions that he can be an impactful fantasy football asset. He has never thrown for more than 197 yards per game in a single season, so his passing volume has never made him a fantasy star. Instead, it's his rushing capabilities that make him so valuable.
In 2022 and 2023, as the Bears' starter, he ran for 40 or more yards in 20 of 28 games, eclipsing 100 rushing yards on multiple occasions. This gave Fields plenty of fantasy football value even with a frustrating passing profile, finishing as a top-10 quarterback in 15 of those same 28 games. While he did leave some managers wanting more in some weeks, he won plenty of managers their week with outstanding performances in fantasy.
While there are fair doubts about Fields being a franchise quarterback, the money the Jets gave him tells me he is the starter for now, and I anticipate seeing fantasy success in New York over the next year or two. He's a veteran in this league, has learned from multiple coaching staffs, and has played various offenses. Since his passing looked the cleanest during his most recent starts in Pittsburgh, I'd expect further improvement in the Jets' offense. While there is a lack of depth, he has his former college teammate Garrett Wilson to throw to and Breece Hall and Braelon Allen in the backfield. Also, given the lack of relevant assets behind Wilson, the Jets could add receivers to complement him. If Fields can pair mediocre passing with his rushing capability, we could have a top-10 ten quarterback in fantasy football. If he can take a step as a passer in New York after all his experience in the league, we may have a top-5 asset here, just like we had for a stretch in Chicago. He is most certainly someone to keep an eye on in fantasy drafts.
Be sure to bookmark our Player Movement Tracker to stay on top of all the 2025 Offseason Moves!
Fantasy Fallout
This move doesn't drastically affect the Steelers since their quarterback situation was already in flux, but it does create ripple effects for the Jets.
Given that Davante Adams is gone and Garrett Wilson is on a contract year, I expect Fields and Wilson, who already have a bond, to have an excellent year together. Fields has had plenty of relevance, but he can also bring fantasy production to receivers. When he was in Chicago and had DJ Moore, Moore put up top-10 numbers. Darnell Mooney also had flashes of production when healthy with Fields under center. Assuming Allen Lazard gets traded, as reports show, Wilson will be the only rostered receiver on the Jets to have a 300-yard season. He is the team's clear-cut best target, so I expect a productive season from the two former Ohio State Buckeyes.
A quarterback with legs like Fields is incredibly dangerous for NFL defenses to scheme against due to the demanded attention, which makes stopping the run challenging. The Ravens' backfield with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry showed how a mobile quarterback and powerful running back can create defensive mismatches. The Jets could use a similar approach with Fields and Hall. This backfield should be much more efficient heading into the 2025 season.
Stock Watch:
Risers:
Fallers
Overview:
Justin Fields signed a two-year contract with the New York Jets worth up to $40 million, including $30 million in guarantees. He'll immediately move in as their starter in what should be a thrilling move for fantasy football. A dynamic quarterback is now in an offense where his skills invigorate the talented weapons around him.
_png)
_png)