As soon as Justin Fields tucks the ball and leaves, defensive coordinators write eulogies for their linebackers. Do you recall that 2022 Week 10 game, the Bears versus Lions? Chicago’s protection collapsed, Fields spun out of a sure sack, and juked a defender out of his ACL. And then? He took off for a 67-yard touchdown like he was late for a flight. One moment, it was third-and-five; in the next, it was a track meet. And Dan Campbell was hurling his headset like it personally betrayed him.

So, there are quarterbacks who are fast. And then there’s Fields-on-a-bootleg fast. That “oh no, he’s gone” brand of fast. And nobody is more aware of that than Dan Campbell, the Motor City maniac who has been banging his chest and biting his kneecap for the past few years in an attempt to control Fields. Spoiler alert: he couldn’t. As frustrated as a father whose toddler had escaped a baby gate, Campbell remarked in Dec 2023, “Every week, & I guarantee you every team does the same, it’s how you contain this guy. You keep him in the pocket, you don’t let him out, & every week he gets out. Every week. We’re trying to contain him, & sure enough he makes another play. He’s got a different speed, he’s got a different quickness, & it’s hard to simulate in practice… He’s one of these rare dangerous players.” That’s how rivals turn into admirers.

You know you’ve broken a coach’s spirit when he stops game-planning and starts complimenting. That wasn’t a press conference—it was a love letter with blitz packages.

But don’t forget, Campbell wasn’t precisely Fields’s biggest admirer on purpose. According to NFC North law, he had to despise everything that was orange and blue and represented the Bears. This is the man who, out of principle, gets up every morning intent on embarrassing the Bears and spiking a Gatorade jug. But as Fields was traded to Pittsburgh, Campbell had no option but to hoist the white flag—and perhaps a Terrible Towel—after years of witnessing Fields destroy his defense.

“I’m not gonna lie, it’s nice to have Fields out of that division,” Campbell said with the kind of relieved sigh normally reserved for getting rid of a haunted doll. From rival to reluctant cheerleader—Fields didn’t just beat the Lions; he beat their will. And yet, for all the game tape and agony he caused Detroit, the Bears eventually flipped Fields for a conditional sixth-round pick to the Steelers. That’s one step above a vending machine trade.

And you know what’s worse? To get this player in 2021, Chicago had to mortgage the future and forfeit four picks, including two first-round picks. However, they shipped him out like he was the Apple Watch from the previous season when it came time to move on. Because they had eyes on a shinier player: USC’s Caleb Williams. However, while Chicago tossed him out the side door with a pat on the helmet, one team pulled Fields in.

Enter the New York Jets, handing Fields a two-year, $40 million deal to become their new starting quarterback in 2025. That’s not a “prove it” contract. That’s a “save-us-from-this-quarterback-apocalypse” contract. The Jets didn’t just sign Fields—they bet their future on him like he was a Wall Street stock on a hot streak. And guess what? Fields is walking into MetLife with a vengeance and a fat paycheck.

Zach Wilson, who? Justin Fields becomes Woody Johnson’s golden boy

Now, let’s move to Gotham’s green mess. Do you recall Zach Wilson? The guy the Jets drafted nine spots ahead of Justin Fields in 2021? The guy tasked with bringing the franchise back to life? Yeah, well, Woody Johnson doesn’t.

Johnson lavished Fields with praise in an interview with ESPN, describing him as one of the two top quarterbacks in the 2021 class and stating that he had been “impressed with him since college.” He even grouped Fields and Trevor Lawrence as if they were co-captains of the ‘should’ve-been-picked-no.1’ club. “It was [Fields] or Trevor Lawrence,” Johnson said, ignoring the reality that his team selected neither. Instead, they selected a BYU quarterback who had a strong performance in an Idaho Potato Bowl.

Yes, that’s right. Conveniently, Johnson overlooked his own second-overall pick. Like, you wrote the cheque, bro! You posed with the jersey! This wasn’t ancient history—it was three years ago. And let’s be honest: Wilson’s time in New York wasn’t just disappointing. It was horrifying. There was no climax in this horror film. He only completed 57% of his throws throughout three seasons. Moreover, he ended up with more interceptions (25) than wins (12). By the end, even the Jets’ mascot looked like it wanted out.

But what’s interesting? A gentle landing for a terrible fall, Zach Wilson has inked a one-year, $6 million contract with the Miami Dolphins in 2025. From No. 2 overall pick to Tua Tagovailoa’s backup in a city more famous for bottle service than quarterback development. Meanwhile, Jets owner Woody Johnson is suddenly all-in on Justin Fields, handing him a two-year, $40 million contract and publicly gassing him up like he’s been their guy all along. Never mind the fact that Johnson could’ve had Fields in 2021 and chose Wilson instead—he’s now rewriting history like it was always Fields or Trevor Lawrence.

So here we are: Justin Fields, once underestimated, now has a former rival singing his praises and a new owner rewriting history to pretend he always believed. Meanwhile, Zach Wilson—once the savior—has become the NFL’s version of “Who?” It’s 2025, and the 2021 quarterback class looks like a broken group project. One guy’s getting promoted, another vanished mid-semester, and somehow Woody Johnson’s giving credit to the kid he didn’t even pick.