Former Buckeyes star's NFL season ends after being placed on IR

One of Ohio State most succesful quarterbacks will likely be on the lookout for his fourth pro team after the regular season ends.

Nov 23, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields (7) looks on before the game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

A former Ohio State Buckeyes’ superstar quarterback is being shelved for the remainder of the NFL season.

And the future with his current club looks bleak.

The New York Jets are placing Justin Fields on the Injured Reserve list due to an injury that has kept him sidelined for the past three games. The designation means that Fields’ season with the 3-12 Jets has come to an end.

Fields was originally sent to the bench before a Week 12 showdown against the Baltimore Ravens in favor of veteran Tyrod Taylor, who also started the Week 13 and 14 tilts. Meanwhile, Fields appeared on the injury report before the Week 14 game against the Miami Dolphins with a knee issue.

Then, a knee injury to Taylor forced the Jets to turn to undrafted rookie Brady Cook, who has since started two games for New York and will start again in Week 17. His record is at 0-2, while Taylor is 1-3 as a starter this year.

"It stinks to be a part of the [demotion]," said at the time tight end Jeremy Ruckert, who played with Fields at Ohio State. "I take it personal, all the hate, all the talking that goes towards him. I take it personal. I'm one of the guys that takes the field with him, and I wish we could've done a better job to help him out, but he's just a true professional."

Fields came on board with the Jets as a free agent after declining a $25.6 million option to stay with the Pittsburgh Steelers, his 2024 team, for 2025. He signed a two-year deal worth $40 million with the Jets, in hopes of stabilizing a position that’s long been unsolved. Should the Jets cut him before June 1st, he would create a dead money cap hit of $22 million for 2025, but if designated a post-June 1st cut would stretch out that cap over two years, $13 million for ‘26 and $9 million for ‘27, with cap savings of $10 million for next season.

But, the former Buckeye standout struggled all season long, going 2-7 as a starter, and completing 128 of 204 pass attempts for 1,259 yards with seven touchdowns and one interception. He also ran the ball 71 times for 383 yards and four scores. He completed less than 10 passes in a game four times this season, failing to reach 55 passing yards on those four occasions.

Fields was a first-round draft pick for the Chicago Bears in 2021, selected 11th overall. He played three seasons for the Bears before being dealt to Pittsburgh in exchange for a 2025 6th round selection.

Fields played two seasons at Ohio State, coming in third in the Heisman voting in 2019 and seventh in the Heisman voting for 2020. In both seasons, he was named Big Ten Player of the Year. In 2020, he led the Buckeyes to the College Football Playoff final, where Ohio State fell 52-24 to Alabama. He started his collegiate career in 2019 at Georgia.