The coaching staff needs to sit down with Justin Fields and convince him to switch positions in 2026 to help keep his NFL career going, instead of being pigeonholed as a backup quarterback, and he should accept a hybrid role (ie. Taysom Hill or Cordarelle Patterson).
The Jets will only save $1 million in cap space in either 2026 or 2026-27 by releasing Fields from his contract in 2026. From that standpoint, it really makes no sense to release him in 2026. However, they need to sit down with him and explain why he should move to wide receiver in 2026.
He’s listed on the Jets website at 6’3”, 227. Therefore, his size would be a fit to play wide receiver. They also wouldn’t necessarily have to work on the whole route tree with Fields. They could create packages for him and limit the routes he runs while also utilizing him in the running game on jet sweeps or as a wildcat quarterback running the zone read.
They would need to adjust his contract in 2026, though, to make it more amenable to the limited playing time. He’d still be able to earn the current $20 million that he’s due in base salary this year: it has to be earned, though.
So, the contract would be a one-year, $10 million fully guaranteed contract to start, maintaining the current guarantee.
Here’s how the contract would look:
The Jets would initially save $5 million in cap space in 2026 if Fields is on the Week 1 roster as a WR or hybrid. Each active game would cause an adjustment for 2027, and if he earns all his incentives, the Jets would lose $5 million in 2027 cap space.
It might also turn out to be a win-win for the Jets in the long run. If they have a long-term weapon on their hands, that would only help them in the future.
They could also work out an extension before the contract voids in 2027 to turn the void years into real ones, if he does end up being a valuable weapon.
If Fields is willing to go along with the move and new contract, there’s no reason not to make the switch in 2026.