Justin Fields injures toe during New York Jets training camp Thursday
Justin Fields, the New York Jets' new starting quarterback, suffered a dislocated toe while practicing Thursday morning.
Fields was in the middle of a drill when he fell down and then limped off the field. Head coach Aaron Glenn later said he was stepped on by one of his teammates during a play, and was carted off. He will be evaluated on a day-to-day basis and is likely in no danger of missing significant time, the team added.
The injury to Fields happened during a time cameras were down, and no TV was recording.
CBS News New York was able to get some footage of him just minutes before the accident, showing great mobility. Fields is known for his escape ability and running ability.
Glenn confident in backup Tyrod Taylor, if he's needed
During his meeting with reporters after practice, Glenn told everyone not to panic.
"When anybody goes down, there's a lump in my throat," Glenn said. "Listen, I hate injuries for any player, but the thing is I want to make sure that I understand exactly what the injury is before I move forward on my thought process."
Fields signed a two-year, $40 million contract as a free agent in March after playing last season in Pittsburgh and is expected to be New York's starter this season, following the departure of Aaron Rodgers during the offseason. Veteran Tyrod Taylor, the Jets' oldest player who turns 36 next month, is the backup and replaced Fields in team drills.
"I think the most important part is, if anything does happen to Justin, I don't think there's any drop-off as far as what we want to do when it comes to play calls," Glenn said, adding about Taylor that is, "very similar when you talk about skill set, so that was like enticing for us. And then the leadership ability ... you could just tell the players really gravitate to him. When he says something, everybody really listens, even the coaching staff. He's been around this league a long time. He knows what it takes to win, and he's a really good person. So, we're all excited to have that guy here.
"Listen, Justin is who he is and if something happens to him, we've got Tyrod and we're ready to go."
Expectations were high as the Jets hit the field for the second day of camp, but the early season plans may now have taken a hit. The first days of training camp, traditionally full of hope, now have an ominous feeling.
"I was in a situation in Detroit last year, where Hutch went down, Anzalone goes down, McNeil goes down, and you keep playing football. And that's just what it is. And I've said this several times, and our players know this -- it's more about the play style than the playbook, and our players understand we are going to play a certain way no matter who is in there," Glenn said.
What to know about Justin Fields
Fields, who turned 26 on March 5, was selected No. 11 overall by the Chicago Bears in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Ohio State. He spent three seasons with the Bears, compiling a 10-28 record as a starter, before landing with the Steelers last season. Fields went 4-2 as the starter before being supplanted by veteran Russell Wilson.
Fields is considered a dual-threat quarterback, meaning he can be a dangerous offensive weapon with both his arm and his legs. Back in 2022, his second season with the Bears, he passed for 2,242 yards and 11 touchdowns and ran for 1,143 yards and eight TDs.
