Justin Fields’ New York Jets tenure may be off to a tough start.
The quarterback was carted out of practice at training camp on Thursday after suffering an apparent right leg injury, Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports reported.
Fields limped out of the cart when it stopped, Vacchiano added.
The former first-round pick was named New York’s starter by general manager Darren Mougey in March.
“We believe Justin is the starter,” Mougey said. “We believe in Justin. We believe we can win with Justin, so we’re excited about Justin.”
The Jets signed Fields to a two-year, $40 million contract — including $30 million in guarantees — on March 10. The 26-year-old quarterback is making starter-type money, so Mougey’s declaration wasn’t a major surprise.
At the time, it cemented his status ahead of veteran backup Tyrod Taylor and youngsters Adrian Martinez and Jordan Travis in New York’s quarterbacks room.
“Justin is a young, talented quarterback with a unique athletic skill set that adds another dimension to the game,” Mougey said. “There was that and then diving into the person, knowing him, his leadership — he was a good fit.”
Fields spent last season with Pittsburgh after playing his first three NFL seasons with Chicago, which drafted him in the first round — the 11th overall pick — in 2021 out of Ohio State. The Jets had the No. 2 overall pick that year and selected quarterback Zach Wilson, who also failed to live up to expectations and was traded to Denver last year.
Fields went 4-2 with five touchdown passes and five TD runs with just one interception as the Steelers’ starter last season before being replaced by Russell Wilson.
–with files from The Associated Press
