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Aaron Glenn was asked about the Jets’ rookie minicamp for his early impressions of QB Justin Fields, and here is some of what he had to say:
“There’s a quiet confidence about that man that’s unshakable and even though he’s not the most vocal person, he’s active with his body language.” Glenn said. “He’s active with his one-on-one conversations. If he has to stand in front of the guys and say something, he will. He will. He’s not one of those guys that’s going to talk just to talk because sometimes if you do that, you know players around you can get dead head, but he says things when it needs to be said.”
How much will this stuff matter on Sunday in the fall?
Obviously, being a good communicator is important at the QB position, but there are other things we need to find out about Fields moving forward, related to playing the position, that might be even more important.
Can he throw with anticipation or does he need the first read to be open, or play-action to create space?
Because once you fall behind in games, you need to throw with anticipation.
“Once you get behind in games and once you have to go to a drop-back pass game, which every team has to do, now you have to rely on anticipiatory throws,” said one former long-time NFL executive.
Fields must prove he’s more than a one-read and run QB, and he very well might do that – we shall see.
There was a long-time QB in the NFL named Ryan Tannehill, who played with Miami and Tennessee. He was a tremendous athlete – 6-4, 217 and ran 4.6.
The long-time NFL executive said this about Tannehill.
“A terrific athlete? Absolutely. Naturally instinctive for the position? No. The faster the game becomes, the more instincts take over — and that’s when Tannehill gets into trouble. Look at his career numbers on third down: He’s thrown 26 interceptions, averages a half yard less per attempt than his overall average, and completes just 58 percent of his passes. The faster the game, the less you like Tannehill.”
Now that quote wasn’t about Fields, but too often in the past, Fields has looked like Tannehill.
Like Tannehill, he has great speed and a rocket arm, and when things are going according to plan, with a good running game to create play-action and bootlegs, Fields is solid, but in a pure dropback passing game, sometimes he can struggle.
Fields, like a lot of young quarterbacks (including essentially the entire rookie class this year), must show he can become better at progressions (one-two-three, checkdown) and become a full field reader, not just a half-field reader (which is what is required on bootleg passes).
Glenn continued:
“He’s a really good athlete. He works his butt off in the weight room. He’s another guy that he’s doing everything he can to improve and whatever advantage he can get from coaching, strength and conditioning, being on the field, he’s going to get that. He’s going to take that advantage and he’s going to run with it.”
Will he be able to “run with it?” That is the big question.
There have been SO many quarterbacks over the years, with the Jets, and all over the NFL, who have great springs – work their tails off with their coaches, are taught a ton of stuff to improve their games, but then when the bullets are flying in the real games in the fall, they often revert back to their old muscle memory and approach to progressions.
We will see if Fields can take the next step as a processor, an anticipatory thrower and a QB who can go throw all his progressions.
I have no issue with anything Glenn said. He is supporting his guy.
But unlike so many in the sports media these days, I’m not going to be stenographer, and just write down quotes and then write articles based on the narratives coming from coaches.
Not going to happen.
Critical thinking is important.
Those things Glenn said about Fields are important, but the processing part is even more important.
Let’s see how Fields processes in the fall.
May 12, 2025
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