Justin Fields, Jets' first unit struggle to move ball in practice
Jets quarterback Justin Fields stretches during training camp at the Atlantic Health Training Center on Tuesday in Florham Park, N.J. Credit: Corey Sipkin
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Justin Fields stepped to the microphone after Tuesday morning’s practice, the latest session that was not exactly an offensive clinic.
The Jets' quarterback’s first unit struggled to move the ball down the field, but concern has not surfaced as he continues to form a rapport with his new teammates.
“Some of it’s me, some of it’s dropping the ball, some of it’s just plain and simple things,” Fields said. “Stuff that, you know, it’s practice. I’ve been a part of games where we have a red zone Friday, we run the play three times, we don’t hit it one time. And then Sunday comes, and we hit it the first time we run it. So like I said, our guys are talented enough to get the job done. Of course, when we don’t have the days that we want to have, it’s just about how we respond.
“So days like this, it’s a day that we didn’t want to have. It's a great opportunity to see how we’re going to respond on Thursday. So like I said, it’s inevitable. You’re going to have these days in training camp. That’s why we’re out here. That’s why we’re out here working. The defense, they won the day at the end of the day. So like I said, it’s about how we respond Thursday, and we got to come out hot.”
Fields unofficially completed 9 of 16 passes with two interceptions in team drills. Andre Cisco snagged the first pick on a pass that floated toward the left sideline. Brandon Stephens picked up the other on Jeremy Ruckert’s drop, which happened after the offense drove to the 8-yard line.
In seven-on-seven drills, Fields went 1-for-4 with an interception, which Tony Adams came down with after Sauce Gardner’s deflection.
Fields, who is 12 days removed from suffering a dislocated toe on his right foot, said that the toe is not much of an issue, though it is “still a little bit swollen” and he had to change his shoe size from a 12 1/2 to a 13.
Coach Aaron Glenn is not worried as the passing offense tries to find its footing.
“I'm looking at Week 1, right,” Glenn said. “We have a long time until we get to that point. And the type of men that we have, I know our men are going to pick it up and get it going.
“So I'm not worried at all. The things that I'm more concerned about are the things that we have to make ourselves ready for Week 1. The things we're trying to create in training camp, those are things that I think about on a daily basis.”
Ben Dickson is Newsday Sports' general assignment reporter. He joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Maryland, where he covered several of the Terrapins' teams.
