Upon further review, New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn rated starting quarterback Justin Fields’ performance in the 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos in London as a “step back.”
Glenn’s admission Monday came less than 24 hours after he was taken aback when he was asked if Fields would remain New York’s starter.
Fields, in his first season with the Jets, finished 9-for-17 passing for 45 yards. His nine sacks for 55 yards left Fields with minus-10 net passing yards.
The Jets are 0-6 with three two-point losses under Glenn and are 3-15 since Oct. 6, 2024.
“I thought about this a lot last night. I thought about the question that was asked. When you look at what Justin did, the games that he played — listen, I didn’t think he was bad at all,” Glenn said Monday. “I actually thought he did some pretty good things in those four games. In this fifth game, he took a step back. I’m with you guys 100 percent.
“And we can’t have that. And we have to get better than that. And he knows that. And he knows that better than anyone. So I don’t think you just try to bench a player after having one true bad game. Because I thought the other games he played fairly well.”
Fields started five the Jets’ six games. He missed Week 3 — a 29-27 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — due to a concussion. He has completed 65% of his pass attempts (80 of 123) for 799 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions.
The Jets have two games before their bye — a home contest Sunday against the Carolina Panthers followed by an Oct. 26 road game in Cincinnati.
Should Glenn decide to make a change, journeyman Tyrod Taylor is Fields’ backup. Brady Cook, a rookie from Missouri, is on the practice squad.
Fields, 26, was the No. 11 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by the Bears. Chicago moved on from Fields after three seasons, and he signed a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the 2024 season.
In his career, he has thrown for 8,579 yards with 49 touchdowns and 31 interceptions. He is 14-35 as a starter and has appeared in 55 games with a completion rate of 61.5%.
