FLORHAM PARK, N.J. – The New York Jets, still winless, will have their starting quarterback for Monday night’s game against the Miami Dolphins. Justin Fields, who missed a game due to a concussion suffered in Week 2, was medically cleared on Friday and will return to the field.
Fields, after spending more than a week in the NFL’s concussion protocol, practiced at full speed for three consecutive days and was removed from the protocol after being examined by an independent neurologist. It’s a dynamic runner. He’s a smart player. I think in the passing game he showed exactly what he can do in that first game and we want to keep expanding on that and keep getting better. Fields suffered the injury in the Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills, when his head hit the turf after a hit from defensive end Joey Bosa in the final quarter.Justin will play.
Aaron Glenn, coach
The offense struggled for three quarters last week with Tyrod Taylor, who led the Jets with two touchdown passes in the final quarter in the eventual 29-27 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Jets, trying to avoid their 0-4 season start since 2020, hope Fields’ presence can unlock their running game. In the last two games, Breece Hall was limited to 50 yards on 19 carries. Their offense looked dynamic in Week 1, as Fields ran for two touchdowns and threw for another, while the Jets totaled 394 total yards in the 34-32 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. They have been trying to get back to that formula.Migraines all day, sensitivity to light, that was a big thing. I couldn’t really focus.
Justin Fields, on the symptoms of his first concussion
The Dolphins (0-3) are ranked 32nd in scoring defense, but haven’t lost to the Jets in Miami since 2014. Each game is important for Fields, who arrived at the Jets as a free agent with a two-year, $40 million contract, including $30 million guaranteed. In a sense, he’s in a one-year audition while the Jets try to determine if he can be their long-term answer at the quarterback position. Fields, in his third team in three years, played one of the best games of his career in the debut, completing 16 of 22 passes for 218 yards. However, in Week 2, he regressed. Before the concussion, he completed 3 of 11 passes for 27 yards, his worst career record, with a total QBR of 1.0.We have to run the ball better. Listen, I know we’re facing three really good teams in the last few games we’ve played, but I don’t care about that. I have an expectation of this team on how we operate, and I’m not going to back down on that and our guys aren’t going to back down on that.
Aaron Glenn, coach, on improving the running game
