The scene at the New York Jets has turned grim. After a promising offseason move, Justin Fields is now staring at the possibility of being shoved aside, especially with the team turning to Tyrod Taylor to steady the offense. And the reason goes beyond just playing on the field. With his two-year deal carrying significant guarantees, the Jets find themselves caught in a financial trap. What looked like a chance for redemption has quickly turned into a major burden.
As the Jets evaluate their quarterback room and future direction, Fields’ contract looms large. The money structure does not just matter for this year’s performance. It dictates the 2026 market, the Jets’ roster decisions and potentially Fields’ next step in the league. Let’s dig into the numbers, the implications and why this matters both for Fields and the franchise.
Why Justin Fields’ Deal Has Become the Jets’ Biggest Headache?
Fields arrived in New York under a two-year, $40 million contract signed in March 2025. It was a deal the Jets believed would give them a dynamic dual-threat quarterback to rebuild around.
The structure looked straightforward at first glance. Firstly, a $15 million signing bonus. Secondly, $30 million is fully guaranteed, and thirdly, the annual average salary of $20,000,000. And fourth but not the last, short runway for the franchise to evaluate whether Fields could finally become the player the city once expected him to be.
But as the season unraveled and the Jets shifted to Tyrod Taylor, the fine print of Fields’ contract suddenly became the central problem.
In 2025, Fields carries a $5 million base salary along with prorated bonus money that pushes his cap hit to $8,010,080. All guaranteed and locked in. The real trouble hits in 2026. That year, Fields is set to earn a $20 million base salary with a cap hit climbing toward $23 million.
Crucially, $10 million of that salary is guaranteed no matter what. Whether the Jets bench him, trade him, or outright cut him, they owe that money. That single guarantee strips the Jets of flexibility and crushes Fields’ market simultaneously.
For New York, it means they’re financially tied to a quarterback they no longer trust to start. For Fields, it means his 2026 value on the open market likely collapses to near the veteran minimum because any new team knows the Jets are already paying the bulk of the bill. To put it simply, the benching isn’t the shock, but the financial trap is. Fields’ contract has turned into a roadblock for the Jets and a warning sign for the rest of the league.
The Jets are not just dealing with a benched quarterback. They are dealing with a mistake that is going to cost them real money next year. Fields’ ten-million-dollar guarantee now controls everything. It limits what the Jets can do, it affects how they build their roster and it forces them to carry a contract they clearly regret.
Fields has his own problem, too. His value for 2026 will be low because every team knows the Jets are already paying him. He will be treated like a backup, trying to start over again. The whole situation is a reminder that bad quarterback bets hurt twice. They hurt on the field when the play falls apart and they hurt again when the bill shows up.