Fields’ Health Will Decide Jets’ Week 4 QB Plan Against Dolphins

Justin Fields’ health will determine who starts for the Jets in Week 4 against the Dolphins, as he must receive medical clearance from an independent neurologist at the end of the NFL’s five-step concussion protocol. He was not spotted at last Friday’s open portion of practice, suggesting he remains in the early stages of recovery. "Justin came in as our starter. He’s been our starter," Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said. "Tyrod was the backup. I want to make sure I know exactly where Justin’s at. I don’t want to say anything until I know that Justin’s clear. So once Justin is clear, I’ll let you know exactly where we’re going."

Sticking to the preseason pecking order makes sense given Fields’ Week 1 rating of 119.1 and Week 2 rating of 39.6. The Jets, who are back on the field for a walk-through Wednesday, want a longer sample size before considering Tyrod Taylor as anything more than a fill-in. The Jets are one of three teams without a takeaway so far; Harrison Phillips’ strip-sack of Baker Mayfield was the fourth forced fumble by the Jets without a recovery in three games. "That football is shaped a really weird way, and it bounces a really strange way," Phillips said. "We’ll emphasize punching at the football this week, and you’ll see our guys with bruises up and down their forearms."

Glenn did not offer an update on LB Quincy Williams, who missed the second half with a shoulder injury. But teammate Marcelino McCrary-Ball was emotional thinking back on Williams’ injury. "I’m happy he’s going to be all right and everything, but any time you have those injury timeouts, you don’t want to see it." Two minutes after Will McDonald IV blocked a field goal by broad-jumping over the long snapper and returned the loose ball for a touchdown, he was lined up back on the edge to try to block the game-winning field goal. McCrary-Ball, a special-teams captain, didn’t have an explanation for the adjustment. "We got this call, we’re going to try to execute it and try to block it just like we did the previous one and all the other ones," McCrary-Ball said. "We shouldn’t have even put ourselves in that position to get all the way down there and kick that field goal."

With Monday’s matchup against the Dolphins looming, the Jets would prefer to keep Fields as the starter if he is cleared, preserving the two-year, $40 million investment and building more evidence before any broader changes. The Week 4 date adds urgency to the decision, given the offense’s need for consistency and the defense’s push to protect leads and create turnovers. In the same city, the Giants are weighing a Week 4 quarterback decision between Russell Wilson and Jaxson Dart, underscoring how New York remains a focal point for quarterback questions in the early NFL season.

Two minutes after Will McDonald IV’s field-goal block and return for a touchdown, his unit had another chance to flip the script, lining up to block the potential game-winner. McCrary-Ball cited the coaching staff’s approach as they seek to capitalize on opportunities like that moment while staying disciplined in the kicking game. The game plan for Week 4 centers on balance: letting Fields prove he is healthy enough to start and, if not, having Tyrod Taylor ready to step in without compromising the roster’s longer-term path.

The Jets’ Week 4 matchup will be played on Monday night against the Dolphins, a marquee test that will test New York’s patience and resolve as they navigate the quarterback question and the team’s continued development on both sides of the ball. The club’s medical and coaching staffs have publicly stressed the need for clear, consistent information on Fields’ progress, with the clock ticking toward kickoff. If Fields clears, the plan appears straightforward: return him to the huddle and lean on his performance from early in the season while continuing to groom Taylor as a reliable veteran option if needed.