Ohio State Legend Facing Most Stressful NFL Challenge Yet
When Justin Fields departed the Ohio State Buckeyes for the 2021 NFL Draft, the world appeared to be his oyster. He was coming off of a tremendous two-year run as Ohio State’s starting quarterback, racking up 63 passing touchdowns to just nine interceptions in 2019 and 2020.
Fields was just oozing with potential, and his dual-threat capabilities had scouts salivating. He was eventually selected by the Chicago Bears with the 11th overall pick, and many assumed that he would be off to the races as soon as he got the chance to start.
But here we are four years later, and everyone is still waiting for Fields to finally turn the corner. The 26-year-old is now on his third NFL team, having signed a two-year contract with the New York Jets in free agency after a failed stint with the Bears and with the Pittsburgh Steelers making it abundantly clear that they didn’t view him as the quarterback of the future after one season with the club.
Realistically speaking, this may very well represent Fields’ last chance to prove that he can be a starting quarterback on the professional level, so he is burdened with more pressure than ever before since joining the NFL ranks.
The Jets did not draft a quarterback. They didn’t sign anyone else in free agency. They
But here we are four years later, and everyone is still waiting for Fields to finally turn the corner. The 26-year-old is now on his third NFL team, having signed a two-year contract with the New York Jets in free agency after a failed stint with the Bears and with the Pittsburgh Steelers making it abundantly clear that they didn’t view him as the quarterback of the future after one season with the club.
Realistically speaking, this may very well represent Fields’ last chance to prove that he can be a starting quarterback on the professional level, so he is burdened with more pressure than ever before since joining the NFL ranks.
The Jets did not draft a quarterback. They didn’t sign anyone else in free agency. They are making it very obvious that they are giving Fields a chance, and now, it’s on Fields to deliver.
Luckily, the Kennesaw, Ga. native has former Ohio State teammate Garrett Wilson on the roster, so perhaps the Buckeyes connection will help him forge a successful run in New York. Beyond Wilson, however, the Jets are fairly limited on weapons, which makes Fields’ job that much more difficult.
Fields has yet to prove he can be a consistent signal-caller. He has tossed 45 touchdowns and 31 picks over 50 games and 44 starts throughout his NFL career. He has completed just 61.1 percent of his passes. Yes, he has a 1,000-yard rushing campaign under his belt, but that will only take you so far as a quarterback if you aren’t able to regularly deliver the football to your receivers.
While it’s too soon too label Fields an outright bust, he is certainly approaching that territory, and if he doesn’t finally break through in the Big Apple, we may be left with no choice but to simply declare the Ohio State legend a massive disappointment.
