Aaron Rodgers’ New York Jets era is done after two seasons, and Gang Green already has rumored ties to one pending free agent quarterback.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on ‘SportsCenter’ that the Jets could be a ‘sleeper option’ for Steelers quarterback Justin Fields. The 25-year-old is coming off of a debut season with Pittsburgh that featured 10 regular-season appearances and a 4-2 record in six starts.
New York is only one of several quarterback-needy teams that will be looking to fill that roster hole in free agency. Fields will be an especially intriguing option for those teams. He’s a dual-threat signal-caller who could serve as a solid ‘bridge’ option for teams that hope to draft a young quarterback in the next year or two.
Here are five possible landing spots for Fields this offseason:
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Justin Fields landing spots
Field will have several suitors as one of the best young quarterbacks in the free agent market this offseason. These five teams are some of the most likely landing spots:
New York Jets
The Jets were tied to Fields by ESPN NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler in a Monday edition of ‘SportsCenter,’ when he called New York a ‘sleeper option’ to land the pending free agent. With veteran Aaron Rodgers out of the building, the Jets have a major need to fill at the game’s most important position.
Fields is a nice fit in New York for a few reasons, with one of the biggest being the supporting cast he’d have around him. Even if the Jets trade away receiver Davante Adams, their new quarterback would get to throw to wide receiver Garrett Wilson, tight end Tyler Conklin and running back Breece Hall.
In addition, new head coach Aaron Glenn will be looking to bring the Jets’ defense back to a level of excellence that will help take some pressure off of Fields and the offense. That isn’t to say that the offense would be neglected either. Glenn’s choice for offensive coordinator, former Lions passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand, could also help develop Fields further after his success in Detroit with quarterback Jared Goff.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers are another obvious choice for Fields’ future. Before Fowler’s report on the quarterback’s connection to the Jets, ESPN’s senior NFL reporter said on Friday’s ‘SportsCenter’ that both Fields and Pittsburgh were open to having the quarterback stick around.
In (an admittedly small sample size of) six starts with the Steelers in 2024, Fields had career-high numbers in completion rate (66.3%) and passer rating (93.9). Through that first third of the season, the former Bears starter was also on pace for career highs in passing yards (3,134) and total touchdowns (28) as well as a career low in interceptions (three).
Pittsburgh has a significant decision to make with both Russell Wilson and Fields set to hit free agency. Wilson was the favored option entering last year, but his injury allowed his younger backup the chance to start and shine. And though the veteran started 6-1 when he returned from his calf injury, he also went 0-5 in the final four games of the regular season and one playoff game. The door is open for Fields to take back the starting job with the Steelers.
New York Giants
New York’s other team is in a strange spot at quarterback. The Daniel Jones extension decision still looms large as a stain on the current regime’s resume, and the Giants now need a new quarterback after they cut ties with the former first-round pick last season. While Big Blue could wait for the draft, they’re also in the awkward position of holding the third overall pick behind two other quarterback-needy teams in a draft that has only two consensus top quarterbacks.
Enter Fields, a young, dual-threat quarterback who still has a high ceiling with the right environment. Giants head coach Brian Daboll was once the offensive coordinator with the Bills and helped coach and develop a young, dual-threat quarterback while he was there. While Fields fits a very different dual-threat quarterback mold than Josh Allen, Daboll does have a track record of success, even if recent disappointments mean it can be called into question.
Should Fields join the Giants, he could have one of the best supporting casts he’s ever had in his career. Receiver Malik Nabers and running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. are both coming off of excellent rookie debuts, and adding a quarterback in free agency means New York could be in on drafting two-way star Travis Hunter. Hunter, who played both wide receiver and cornerback at a high level for Colorado, could further elevate Fields’ supporting cast.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders are in a similar spot to the Giants in that they don’t currently have a long-term answer at quarterback. Like New York, they also don’t hold a good position in the 2025 NFL draft to guarantee they can draft one.
Fields is a good fit for Las Vegas as a potential ‘bridge’ option. If the Raiders draft a quarterback in the later rounds or choose to wait until next year, Fields could be a more veteran presence to start in the interim. At the same time though, the 25-year-old will get a real shot at winning a long-term starting job in Las Vegas under new head coach Pete Carroll.
Carroll has built a strong résumé of working with quarterbacks – both young and experienced – and bringing out their potential. He was USC’s head coach for both Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart when they won the Heisman Trophy, and he also worked with fellow first-round pick Mark Sanchez in college. In the pros, Seahawks quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Geno Smith found their fair shares of success with Carroll at the helm. Adding in Chip Kelly’s voice as the offensive coordinator also profiles well for Fields’ fit in Sin City.
Fields would have a good head coach in Carroll, a number one pass-catching weapon in tight end Brock Bowers and a relatively low set of expectations in Las Vegas. There’s real potential for the former Bears starter to find ways to thrive with the Raiders.
New Orleans Saints
The Saints are in a tough spot. Veteran quarterback Derek Carr has not performed at the level of a franchise quarterback New Orleans had hoped for when it signed him to a four-year, $150 million contract two years ago. The NFC South contenders also don’t really have a great younger option either. Both Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler struggled in their 2024 outings.
Fields may be a relatively inexpensive option for the cap-troubled Saints to look into during free agency. He’d get to work with offensive mind Kellen Moore, a former quarterback himself, and potentially compete with Carr for the starting job this year and beyond.
Fields would also have a solid group of receivers to work with if they stay healthy in 2025. Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed are a sneaky strong one-two punch on the outside, and running back Alvin Kamara is a more than capable receiver out of the backfield as well. If New Orleans can build a stronger offensive line, look no further than what Moore’s offense looked like with the Eagles to envision a Fields-led Saints offense: a strong run game led by a star running back, complemented by a dual-threat quarterback that can thrive off of play-action.
Honorable mentions: Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns
The Titans and Browns are possible, but unlikely fits for Fields.
As the holders of the top two picks in the 2025 NFL draft, respectively, Tennessee and Cleveland are in a prime position to draft their quarterbacks of the future. While Fields could fill in as a veteran bridge option that allows either Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders to develop behind him, it’s unlikely that a 25-year-old pending free agent would be very willing to be such an obvious stopgap for one of the draft’s top picks.
In addition, either team’s offer almost certainly would be below the value Fields could likely find elsewhere. Teams with more obvious and pressing needs for a starting quarterback, even if only temporarily, likely would spend more on a free agent signal-caller than a team preparing to draft their young gunslinger of the future.