New York Jets QB Justin Fields was taken off in a cart during practice on the first day of camp, after suffering a toe/leg injury.
It happened on the fifth play of the session, during 11-on-11 drills. Fields threw an incompletion to Jeremy Ruckert, then immediately went down, limping to the sideline before being evaluated on the field. Coaches broke off team drills and switched to special teams.
Head coach Aaron Glenn confirmed it’s a right toe injury. He suspects a teammate stepped on his toe—we’ll know the full story once imaging results are back. The good news? Early indications suggest there’s no fracture. Fields even walked off under his own power from the cart.
This was supposed to be Fields’ moment. After three inconsistent seasons in Chicago and a year in Pittsburgh backing up Russell Wilson, he signed a two-year, $40 million deal with the Jets this March, including $30 million guaranteed. With Rodgers gone and Wilson now in New York, Fields entered camp as the clear starter—no competition, just trust.
If this toe injury sidelines him for more than a few days—or worse, weeks—it could do more than just delay the season prep. With ample pressure to show he’s more than a backup, missing reps in camp risks losing the momentum he desperately needs.
Backup Tyrod Taylor is now getting first-team reps and would likely start if Fields is out for a stretch. The team also has Adrian Martinez and Brady Cook waiting in the wings.
Bottom line? Unless scans show otherwise, this might just be a painful hiccup for Fields. But in his current position—on the verge of a real shot at QB1—it feels like a test with next to no room for error.