The Jets placed quarterback Justin Fields on injured reserve this week, officially ending the quarterback’s season. It was an academic move. There was virtually no chance that Fields was going to play again this season. Placing Fields on IR allowed the Jets to add an additional player to the roster before the end of the season.
So what happens next with Fields?
I think we can assume that Fields will have no trade value. Two years ago he only brought back a late round pick when the Chicago Bears dealt him to the Pittsburgh Steelers. That was after his third season, when one at least theoretically could have argued he had more upside than he does today.
With that in mind, the Jets have three real options.
Option one is to keep Fields on the roster for 2026. If they do that, he will have a $23 million salary cap number. His contract is set to void on February 15, 2027. For all intents and purposes, that means he will be automatically cut on that date if the Jets take no action before then. The Jets will then receive a $9 million dead money salary cap hit in 2027. That money was written into the contract for years after the contract voids or “void years.”
If the Jets cut Fields, they have two options.
A straight cut would leave the team with a dead money hit of $22 million 2026. Since Fields’ current cap number is $23 million, it would represent a savings of $1 million.
The Jets could also designate Fields what is known as a post-June 1 cut. In that case, Fields would count for $23 million under the salary cap until June 1. At that point, his cap number would drop to $13 million. The remaining $10 million would be charged to the Jets’ salary cap in future seasons. Despite the title of “post-June 1” the Jets could cut Fields and free up the roster spot before that date. They simply would not get the cap savings until June 1.
Given how poorly this season has gone, it seems clear to me that the Jets should cut Fields. This has been so bad that it is difficult to see how Fields could succeed with this team. If it is ever going to work for him, it will almost certainly need to be somewhere else.
Even by making him a regular cut, the Jets do save $1 million. The veteran minimum is around $1 million, which makes cutting Fields a financial wash. The roster spot likely could be better used on another player.
If the Jets are looking to maximize their salary cap space, they could go the post-June 1 option. Although they don’t receive the extra space until June 1, knowing that they have it in their back pocket could impact how they approach free agency a bit.