Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said the decision to place quarterback Justin Fields on Injured Reserve on Tuesday was due his slow rebound from an early December midweek knee injury.
"We're going to put Justin on IR," Glenn told reporters at a late afternoon news conference. "It wasn't getting better, as we would like it. We want to make sure we get a focus on that, make sure we get him better."
Fields injured his knee during the practice week before the Jets played host to Miami on Dec. 8 and had been deactivated for the games against the Dolphins, Jaguars and Saints. He was listed as the Jets' emergency third QB for New Orleans but did not play.
Glenn, asked if Fields would need surgery on the knee, said: "I'm going to let the docs hone in on that. If he does, this would be a great time to get it done so we can get it knocked out and he can get healthy. I don't want to place that on him. I just know we want to make sure he can get this thing healthy."
The coach declined to respond to a question about anticipating Fields returning to the Green & White next season. "We'll see how that goes," he said. "We're focused on New England right now."
Fields came to the Jets as an unrestricted free agent in March after three seasons as the Bears' 11th overall selection in the 2021 draft and last year with the Steelers. There were high hopes among the Jets and Fields that he would continue his steady progress as an NFL starting QB.
He took the offense's reins from his arrival and started nine of the Jets' first 10 games, missing only the Week 3 game at Tampa Bay while he was in the NFL's concussion protocol. Some elements of Fields' game went well. He threw no interceptions in his first seven games and one for the season. His scrambling and running ability were as advertised as he logged 383 yards and four touchdowns on 71 carries for a 5.4 yards/carry average.
However, Fields' and the Jets' passing offense was up and down. He recorded passing games of 218, 226, 283 and 244 yards but only the 244-yard game came in a victory, the 39-38 comeback win at Cincinnati. But he managed a 45-yard passing game against Denver and 54 yards in the 27-20 home win over the Browns. Injuries cut short his starts in Week 2 vs. Buffalo and Week 7 vs. Carolina and Glenn opted to start Tyrod Taylor at Baltimore and in the win over Atlanta in the two games before Fields' practice knee injury.
For the season, Fields' passing line reads 128-of-204 (62.7% accuracy), 1,259 yards, 7 touchdown passes and 1 INT. He was sacked 27 times. His starting record was 2-7.
"This is for any player that doesn't have the season we would like for them to have. It's always disappointing," Glenn said. "I don't want to focus on Justin with this. Any player that we have high hopes for and the season doesn't go the way we wanted to go, we're always disappointed in that."
Rookie free agent Brady Cook has been announced to make his third consecutive start in the Jets' final MetLife Stadium appearance against the Patriots on Sunday. Taylor battled through groin and knee injuries that kept him sidelined the past two games. He was the Jets' backup quarterback if needed against the Saints but didn't play. Hendon Hooker, the third-round pick of Detroit in the 2023 draft, was signed to the Jets' practice squad last weel.
