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Rich Cimini
Florham Park, NJ — New York Jets quarterback Justin FieldsHe ignored criticism from team owner Woody Johnson, saying he did not want to negotiate to clarify the situation. And he doesn’t expect Johnson to contact him.
“I don’t think my talking to him is going to do anything,” Fields said after practice Wednesday. “It won’t make me play better. It won’t give me more confidence on the field, so I don’t think there’s any point talking about it, and I doubt he’ll come and talk to me.”
Fields is struggling mightily for the Jets and could be on the verge of losing his job tyrod taylorThe tangled quarterback situation took an unexpected turn Tuesday, when Johnson blamed Fields for his 0-7 start while speaking to reporters at the NFL’s fall meetings in New York.
Fields said, “I’m not sure how he feels about the situation, but, I mean, I don’t plan on pressuring him about what he said.” “Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. That’s just the way it is, but you only have a choice about whether those opinions affect you or not.”
Fields said he was not aware of Johnson’s comments until informed by reporters, although the coach said the matter was addressed by Aaron Glenn in a morning team meeting.
The quarterback is not particularly close to Johnson. Fields said they first met before a recent game, adding that their relationship consisted of quick conversations before games.
“It doesn’t matter to me,” he said of the owner’s criticism. “Obviously, everybody knows I need to play better and we need to play better as a team. And, of course, no matter how the offense goes as a unit, I’m going to get the blame. And I understand that – that’s just what comes with the job. You can’t let anything affect your mind.
“No matter if it’s them, no matter if it’s family members, even teammates, sometimes there comes a time when you just have to believe in yourself.”
Fields, 26, who is under contract through 2026, declined to address the possibility of a trade request. It would be difficult to trade his contract, which includes a $10 million guaranteed salary through 2026.
“I don’t like answering those questions, those – quote, unquote – what if questions,” he said. “I’m not going to do that. It’s not going to do anything for me. It’s not going to do anything for this team. If anything, it will emphasize a topic that the team won’t be focused on, and the biggest focus right now is on this game on Sunday. So it’s just going to inflame more things that we don’t need.”
Johnson caused an uproar when he inadvertently alluded to Fields’ poor play, saying, “It’s hard when you have a quarterback with the rating he’s got. I mean, he’s got the ability, but there’s something that’s not working right.”
Johnson also said, “If we can complete a pass, that would feel good.”
Glenn said he and Johnson are “on the same page” regarding personnel. On Wednesday, Glenn declined to name his starter against Sunday cincinnati bengalsHe said he wanted to create a competitive advantage by keeping Bengal in the dark. All signs point to Taylor replacing Fields.
