Jets Coaches and Players are Loving Justin Fields
Justin Fields came into a situation with the New York Jets that was unfamiliar. He was on a new team in a new city with a coaching staff that had never worked with him. Fields would have to start from zero with all of his relationships, and so far, he seems to have been making a great impression. Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic put out an article on Tuesday talking about how the Jets’ new quarterback is winning over both the coaches as well as his teammates, both with his work on the field and off it. After the failed Aaron Rodgers experiment, Fields seems to be a breath of fresh air for everyone who has been involved with the Jets over the past couple of years.
Fields is not a quarterback without flaws. The former first-round pick is now on his third team in three years. He is, however, determined to put in the work to get better and stick around, despite only being on a two-year deal. While he is a hard worker on the field, being described as a “workaholic” by Jets offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand, he is also working hard to connect with his teammates. His connection with his former college teammate Garrett Wilson, has been apparent from day one, with Fields giving the wide receiver plenty of targets in OTAs and minicamp. Fields stated that despite not being teammates for so long, they “haven’t skipped a beat,” both in their on-the-field connection and their friendship. Wilson praised their communication as well, saying that “he trusts me, I trust him… we speak to each other well, we know what the other is thinking and that’s key.”
Wilson is far from the only person giving Fields praise. His teammates and coaches have all raved about his leadership style and commitment to strengthening the bonds with the players. Showing up to OTAs wearing a shirt that said “Humble Over Hype“, he has definitely shown that statement is a core part of his personality. “Yes, he has a quiet voice, but that quiet voice doesn’t mean that people don’t hear him,” said head coach Aaron Glenn. “People see the way he works, that speaks more than what you say, and I like that about him because he is himself and he’s authentic, and he’s not going to change for anybody. I’d rather have that than somebody that’s fake.”
“He’s built for this team and this area,” said Jets tight end and former college teammate Jeremy Ruckert. “He wants the pressure. He’s built for it. The attitude he brings and the professionalism he has, he’s shown it since college. He’ll continue to do that, and we’ll continue to rally around him.” Running back Breece Hall loves the way that Fields has made an attempt to build relations not just with the offense, but with all the players on the team. “He’s trying to build relationships with everybody, and how he goes about his business has been fun so far,” said Hall. “He’s young like us, so we talk about a lot of the same stuff, we hang out on the weekends, and he’s just been cool to be around.”
Fields has spent time outside of the facility with defensive players as well. He hung out with linebacker Jamien Sherwood, and safety Tony Adams described him as someone “guys want to go to war for.” Wilson has said that “guys keep coming up to me saying: Man, that’s my guy.” Justin Fields is clearly making a positive impression on the entire team and has also shown improvements in his game throughout camp. Coaches and players both love him, and everyone is hoping that by the end of the season, fans will think just as highly of him as they do.
