The New York Jets are 0-7 through the first part of the season, and with a Week 8 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals on tap, the Jets are at risk of going into the bye week without a win.
A huge reason for that poor record has been the quarterback play.
Justin Fields has struggled, especially in recent weeks. Those struggles led owner Woody Johnson to express his dissatisfaction with Fields and indicate he wants Tyrod Taylor to start.
For the first time since Johnson publicly stated he was done with Fields, the Jets quarterback spoke on those comments.
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Justin Fields responds to Jets owner Woody Johnson’s comments on his play
Fields revealed he doesn’t have a relationship with Johnson and won’t look to talk with him about his comments, according to Connor Hughes of SNYtv.
While Johnson’s public comments on Fields could easily have sparked the Jets quarterback to clap back in some capacity, Fields isn’t reacting to those comments. And considering this is Fields’s first year in New York, it’s not too much of a surprise that Fields and Johnson aren’t close.
“Justin Fields said he doesn’t really have a relationship with Woody Johnson.” Hughes reports, “he met him for the first time before one of the Jets games. He won’t search him out, doesn’t have plans to talk to him about what he said.”
Earlier in the week, Johnson defended Aaron Glenn by throwing Fields under the bus. He said that any coach would struggle to win with “that quarterback,” referencing Fields. Johnson also took a subtle shot at Fields, saying that the Jets could win if they could only complete a pass.
Despite those comments being more than enough for Fields to respond to, the 26-year-old isn’t making any comment on Johnson’s dissatisfaction, and also isn’t going to go to Johnson to talk about those comments either.
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Fields is preparing for a Week 8 matchup against the Bengals, which he might not end up being the starter for. Taylor could be named the starter, though he’s dealing with a knee issue and is day-to-day.
It’s been just seven weeks, and the Jets quarterback room is rife with controversy and storylines. This latest drama is a much bigger one, however, as the owner’s public bashing of his own player isn’t a good look for Fields or the Jets.
But Fields took the high road, not clapping back at Johnson or making any snide comments in any way. The worst he revealed is the lack of relationship with Johnson, a minor issue for a journeyman quarterback like Fields.
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