Just like that, the New York Jets are set to begin their season. It’s an entirely new era for Gang Green, as evidenced by transitions at football’s Holy Trinity of general manager, head coach and quarterback.
It’s the latter element that’s making waves as Week 1’s matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers approaches. Not only is Justin Fields making his Jets debut, but he’ll be squaring off against the team he spent all of 2024-25 with.
That’s bound to evoke some kind of emotion out of Fields. If you ask wide receiver Garrett Wilson, it’s been nothing but good.
Garrett Wilson Says Justin Fields Is ‘Locked in’ Ahead of Season
Speaking to the media ahead of Week 1’s outing, Wilson tipped his cap to his QB1. Dating back to their time together at Ohio State, Wilson’s been able to notice when Fields has a sparkle in his eye. That’s apparently present ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.
“I mean, it’s awesome, man,” Wilson said. “Just to see that look on his face â one that I recognize [and] that I’ve been seeing. Obviously, we had a little hiatus there, but since college. Knowing what that looks like. When he’s locked in, he’s locked in. You can feel it. The way he addresses the team, all of that. It’s starting to come back to me. I remember this.”
It’s a positive that Fields is laser-focused on the task ahead. Wilson is well aware of what dramatic teams look like, as he just got past that stretch of football during Aaron Rodgers‘ tenure in town. Despite being just 26 years old, Fields has seen and done a ton. That’s coming in handy as year No. 5 in the league arrives.
Whether that determined mindset leads to production is up in the air. It seems like forever ago that Fields got picked 11th overall by the Chicago Bears. In reality, that NFL Draft decision was made in 2021. Fields doesn’t even have 1,200 career pass attempts on his ledger. For reference, Kansas City Chiefs megastar Patrick Mahomes has 59 more attempts in his last two full seasons than Fields does in his NFL lifetime.
Fields is still rough around the edges. That much was made clear by some lackluster offseason practices and coach Aaron Glenn’s own subsequent admissions. But he’s more than willing to put the work in, which could lead to results.
Jets Primed With Opportunity to Make Statement to Start 2025-26 Campaign
Considering who the Jets play early on, they’ll certainly hope Fields produces.
Week 1’s game against the Steelers’ staunch defense is just the tip of the iceberg. Weeks 2 and 3 will be a change of pace, seeing New York have to keep up with uber-efficient offenses of the Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After that, the month of September comes to a close against the hungry Miami Dolphins‘ attack.
Fields’ abbreviated preseason stint didn’t do much to indicate that regular-season results will lean one way or another. While he managed to be a rushing threat, he went just 4-for-9 passing. Now, he’ll have to adjust to star guard Alijah Vera-Tucker â his best lineman by a decent margin â being out for the year with a triceps injury.
Such is life as a quarterback in the NFL, though. If Wilson’s comments are any true reflection of Fields, he’ll come out firing.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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