The curse placed on all Jets quarterbacks needed only two practices to claim Justin Fields as its next victim.
Fields was carted off the field with a toe injury on his right foot after he dropped to the ground on the follow-through from an incompletion and then limped to the sideline.
He spent about 10 minutes on the trainer’s table with his shoe removed before sliding into the shotgun seat of the cart, riding off the field and walking gingerly back into the locker room.
Shortly after head coach Aaron Glenn said that he did not know the severity of Fields’ injury and praised backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor, NFL Network reported that Fields suffered a dislocation of his non-big toe with no fractures.
“I’m assuming someone stepped on his toe,” Glenn said. “It had to be because of the nature of the offensive play call.”
Fields was injured on the first play of the second 11-on-11 series and didn’t appear to put any weight on his leg as he hopped off with a trainer walking nearby.
The Jets quickly ended the offensive series and moved to a special teams period of practice.
When Taylor took over the huddle with the starters, general manager Darren Mougey and a team doctor conferred.
“He just said, ‘Let’s lock in. Nothing changes. Let’s go out and dominate,’” right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker said of Taylor’s message.
Fields signed a two-year, $40 million contract in free agency to replace Aaron Rodgers. He and Rodgers are supposed to both square off against their former teams in a Week 1 Jets-Steelers matchup.
The longest-tenured Jets can remember starting quarterback Zach Wilson’s preseason knee injury against the Eagles in 2022 (three games missed) and Aaron Rodgers’ season-ending torn Achilles in Week 1 in 2023.
Long-suffering fans can go back to the injuries to Sam Darnold, Chad Pennington, Vinny Testaverde and Joe Namath that marred seasons and created what-ifs.
Did Fields’ departure cue bad flashbacks?
“No, man,” said Vera-Tucker, a 2021 draft pick, said. “It’s just football. Unfortunately, you are going to have injuries. It’s a contact sport.”
Any missed practice time is crucial as Fields learns the offense of first-time play-caller Tanner Engstrand as tries to establish himself as a legitimate NFL passer to complement his dynamic scrambling.
“When anybody goes down, there’s a lump in my throat,” Glenn said. “I hate injuries for any player. But I want to make sure that I understand exactly what the injury is before I move forward with my thought process.
“It’s more about the play style than the playbook. Our players understand we are going to play a certain way no matter who is in there. We’re going to keep moving no matter what the situation is.”
Fields has overcome cracked ribs, a separated AC joint in his shoulder, a hip strain and a dislocated thumb throughout his five-year NFL career with the Bears and Steelers.
