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Rich Cimini
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — For the New York Jets, who have suffered major quarterback setbacks for a variety of reasons over the years, there was a sense of relief Thursday when they learned that Justin Fields’ toe injury from practice isn’t a full-blown disaster.
In 2023, Aaron Rodgers ruptured his left Achilles on the fourth snap of the season. In 2021, Zach Wilson injured his right knee on a preseason scramble and needed surgery. In 2019, Sam Darnold contracted mononucleosis in Week 2. In 2015, Geno Smith suffered a jaw fracture after being punched by a teammate in a locker-room fracas.
Fields, on the other hand, was said to have “avoided serious injury and significant missed time,” the team said in a statement, calling it a dislocated toe and listing him as day-to-day. That’s good news for a franchise accustomed to the alternative. Call it the silver lining.
Now for the not-so-silver lining: Fields will miss valuable training camp reps, which could hamper his growth in the new offense, which, in turn, could stunt the overall development of the unit.
It depends on how long he’s sidelined. Will it be a few days? A week? Two weeks? Know this: The Jets will be cautious with their QB1. It’s still very early in training camp and there’s no reason to force the issue.
A few days on the shelf is not a huge deal, but anything beyond that could be concerning for a player such as Fields, who is learning a new playbook after signing a two-year, $40 million contract in March and hasn’t played a lot of football over the past 12 months. He started the first six games (going 4-2) last season for the Pittsburgh Steelers while Russell Wilson dealt with a calf injury.
Then, a healthy Fields had to watch Wilson take over for the rest of the season — starting with that Week 7 game against none other than the Jets — before leaving as a free agent in the offseason.
Fields needs the work. His teammates need the work with him at quarterback. The coaches need to see him in action to get a feel for what he can and can’t do.
All that is on hold now.
One thing to watch: The injury happened on his plant foot, which absorbs the stress of his weight when he drops back to throw.
The well-traveled Tyrod Taylor, 35, will slide into the starter’s role until Fields is ready to return. Taylor is one of the most respected players in the locker room, a veteran of 58 career starts. He’s probably a better pure passer than Fields, but he’s not Fields — and the organization has made it abundantly clear that Fields is The Guy. That declaration was made in March, eliminating any question about its commitment to him.
On Wednesday, coach Aaron Glenn said of Fields, “He wants to be good, he expects to be good, and I expect him to be good. I just look forward to how he’s continued to operate in these camps day-by-day because I think he’s going to be a good one.”
Life moves fast in the NFL.
On Thursday, Glenn said, “We have an outstanding backup in Tyrod, who’s been in this league for around 14 years. So the leadership that he brings — listen, we’re all good. We’re all good.”
Give credit to the first-year coach for deftly handling his first dose of adversity, displaying the kind of leadership required for a franchise that has endured a lot of hard times. Glenn has a strong will, but he can’t will his offense to have better chemistry if the starting quarterback is in a walking boot.
We all know Fields has a strong rapport with wide receiver Garrett Wilson, his old Ohio State teammate, but he’s still learning the other receivers such as Josh Reynolds and Allen Lazard. Training camp is the time when those on-field bonds are strengthened.
There’s also the matter of scheme. Yes, Taylor will operate the same system as Fields, but they’re different quarterbacks stylistically.
With Fields under center, they can capitalize on his exceptional running ability by using RPOs (run-pass options), freezing defenders and creating lanes for their running backs. Taylor, despite his age, still can run, but he’s more of a dropback passer at this stage of his career.
Again: The news could’ve been a lot worse. There was social-media panic among Jets’ fans around 9:25 a.m., when reports of Fields limping off the field started to circulate. This is a fan base conditioned to expect the worst.
But this time, the Jets avoided calamity — or so it appears.
