Jets 2025 Position Breakdown: Can Justin Fields lead the offense to success?

Ahead of the 2025 season, the Jets made a series of moves to improve the state of their roster and overall depth, but are they ready to compete for a playoff spot?

In this series, we'll break down the depth chart for every Jets position group. This time, we'll go in-depth at the quarterback position...

Projected depth chart

Starter: Justin Fields
Backups: Tyrod Taylor, Adrian Martinez, Brady Cook
Key additions/losses: Signed Fields to a two-year deal, signed Cook as an undrafted free agent
Top Performers in 2024: Aaron Rodgers started all 17 games and passed for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions
2024 ranking via PFF: Rodgers was 15th in the NFL in passing grade.

What the Jets' quarterbacks have going for them

It's a fresh start for both Fields and the Jets, with the 26-year-old hoping to reestablish himself as an NFL starter following three years with the Bears and one with the Steelers.

Fields' best attribute is his running ability, which saw him rush for over 1,100 yards in 2022. However, he knows he needs to master the passing game in order to elevate his performance, and therein lies his inconsistency.

Nevertheless, Fields ran the ball less over the past two years and showed signs of becoming a more consistent passer with the Steelers, as he led them to a 4-2 start last season with just one interception. Unfortunately, Russell Wilson's return from injury prevented him from being able to build on that strong start.

Taylor is one of the better backup options in the league, although there have been concerns about his durability in recent seasons.

Key concern for 2025: Will the Jets regret cutting ties with Rodgers?

Rodgers' statistics in 2024 were solid, especially when compared with other Jets quarterbacks throughout franchise history. However, his time with the team is destined to be remembered as a complete letdown, both individually and collectively.

Finding someone who can match Rodgers' statistical production was never going to be easy. But Fields will be a lot cheaper, and it'll be easy to move on from him and kickstart a new rebuild process if he doesn't succeed.

Considering that Rodgers has still yet to reveal whether he's playing in 2025, the Jets are probably satisfied they made the decision to go in a different direction. This should enable them to create a positive atmosphere as they get an early start on installing Tanner Engstrand's new offense.

Player who must step up in 2025: Justin Fields

The Jets named Fields as their starter before on-field offseason activities began to remove the pressure of media speculation about a camp quarterback competition. He needs to deliver, though.

It's clear the Jets specifically targeted Fields as someone whose skill set fits in with how they intend to operate on offense, so this is a good opportunity to revitalize his career. However, since he's only on a two-year deal, they aren't necessarily committed to him for the long haul, which means he may have a short leash.

Biggest camp battle: Adrian Martinez vs. Brady Cook

With the starting role decided, the only camp competition will be between Martinez and Cook for the No. 3 role, which will probably earn the winner a spot on the practice squad and a scout team role during game weeks.

Martinez beat out Andrew Peasley to earn this role last season, but Cook's athleticism, smarts, and leadership skills give him a decent chance of winning this competition.

Realistically, if Fields suffers an injury that would leave Martinez or Cook potentially one big hit away from being forced to take the helm for in-season action, the Jets would probably move quickly to bring aboard a stopgap veteran as an emergency option.

Overall 2025 Outlook

The Jets had limited options for their quarterback position in 2025 once they had decided to part ways with Rodgers, with Fields being near the top of an imperfect list of options. He still has some developing to do, but his playmaking and improvisational skills could bring an element of excitement to a Jets offense that has been sorely lacking in recent seasons.

The fact that Fields is reunited with college teammate Garrett Wilson is one reason to be hopeful he can deliver the best year of his career. Ultimately, in addition to helping the Jets be competitive, Fields will be seeking to establish himself as a viable option to start in 2026 as well, with the ultimate goal of earning a big-money extension.