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New York Jets News

Leading up to the start of the legal tampering period in the NFL, it was clear the battle for quarterback Justin Fields was going to be between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Jets, both of whom offered an opportunity to start in 2025 and potentially beyond.

Ultimately, Fields moved on from the Steelers and head coach Mike Tomlin, signing a two-year, $40 million deal with the Jets with $30 million guaranteed.

For the first time since leaving the Steelers for the Jets, Fields made a public statement to newyorkjets.com, Fields revealed the reasoning behind why he left the Steelers for the bright lights of New York.

The first thing he mentioned when asked about why he chose the Jets was new head coach Aaron Glenn.

“I think, No. 1, Coach Glenn,” Fields said regarding why he chose New York, according to newyorkjets.com. “I’ve played against him early in my career. I know how passionate he is about the game, the way he coaches, the way his players play. So I think that was the biggest thing for

The Jets hired Glenn away from the Detroit Lions, where he had been the defensive coordinator since 2021. Fields, who was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the same draft that saw the Jets waste their pick on Zach Wilson, started for the Bears for three seasons in divisional matchups against Aaron Glenn’s Lions teams.

In five games against the Aaron Glenn led Detroit Lions, Fields rushed the ball 56 times for 450 yards (an eight yard/rush average) with three touchdowns. That is enough to give any defensive coach nightmares. Fields’ passing in those games were a lot more pedestrian, completing 57% of his throws for 843 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions.

Still, shortly after hiring Glenn, New York decided to move on from Aaron Rodgers, creating a need at the quarterback position and Glenn grabbed a chance to work with Fields.

With former Ohio State teammates Garrett Wilson and Jeremy Ruckertt (the Jets starting TE at the moment) already in the mix, along with other young offensive talent like running back Breece Hall and young offensive tackle Olu Fashanu, the Jets appeared to be a good landing spot for a young quarterback.

“Our relationship playing against each other means a lot because Detroit, of course, they’ve had a lot of success the past couple of years,” Fields said regarding Glenn, according to newyorkjets.com. “So for him to want me here is definitely an honor, and I’m going to put it all on the line for him and do all I can to help this team be successful.”

The Steelers made it clear throughout the offseason that they wanted to move forward with him as their starting quarterback, but the benching after Week 6 in the 2024 season and then the limited playing time after that in specific packages possibly rubbed Fields the wrong way. Fields’ move to New York ultimately wasn’t shocking, especially after he reportedly didn’t respond to a contract offer from the Steelers leading up to the legal tampering window.

Considering many of the awful moves the Jets have made thus far in free agency and the numerous holes still on the roster, the Jets are putting a lot of faith in Justin Fields and Aaron Glenn to find a way to win some football games in 2025.