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Justin Fields' starting gig with the New York Jets ended after just nine games. Following a miserable start to the season, Fields was benched in favor of Tyrod Taylor ahead of Week 12, according to Diana Russini of The Athletic.

While Fields could still work his way into some starts down the stretch, the move signals a clear change of direction for the Jets moving forward. When the team signed Fields to a two-year $40 million deal in the offseason, it intended on the former first-round pick being a useful stopgap — with the potential for more — over the next couple of seasons. 

Jets owner Woody Johnson acknowledged Fields' poor play this season at the annual Fall League Meeting. Though he maintained that the decision on the team's quarterback remains with head coach Aaron Glenn, Johnson conceded in October that things haven't quite come together for Fields thus far. 

“It’s hard when you have a quarterback with the rating that we’ve got. I mean, he has the ability, but something is just not jiving," Johnson commented.

After an encouraging debut, in which Fields scored three total touchdowns in a narrow loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Fields struggled to put together competent passing performances. He was held to under 50 yards passing in three of his first six games with the team, including a 27-yard performance in a Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Fields left that game with a concussion in the fourth quarter. 

That injury caused Fields to miss the team's Week 3 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Jets lost that contest, though they scored 27 points with Taylor under center.

Fields returned to the starting lineup in Week 4 and turned in two strong performances before running into the Denver Broncos in London in Week 6. 

Fields and the Jets struggled mightily in that contest. The 26-year-old Fields went just 9-for-17 with 45 yards passing. The Broncos smartly assigned defensive spies to prevent Fields from running with the ball when passing plays broke down. The tactic limited Fields to just 31 rushing yards.

While his statistical performance was awful, the most damning sign that the coaching staff lost confidence in Fields came at the end of the second quarter. With the Jets down 10-6, the team had a chance for a final drive before halftime. The Jets got the ball back with 3:22 to play and then made a series of bizarre decisions that suggested they didn't want Fields throwing the ball. 

Despite time running out in the quarter, the Jets ran the ball six times on the drive. After Fields picked up a third down with a throw, the team continued running the ball to set up a 4th and 1. The Jets converted a fake punt, signaling the team wanted to put points on the board before halftime. Instead, the team ran on the next two plays, using timeouts after both runs to stop the clock.

The Jets managed to push the ball to their own 41-yard line with just seconds to play before halftime. Instead of trying for a Hail Mary, the Jets let the clock run out, ending the drive with no points and a lot of questions. 

After that contest, Jets coach Aaron Glenn was asked about a possible quarterback change. He stood by Fields, defending the quarterback's performance. 

But the following week, Glenn had seen enough. Fields was benched in favor of Taylor after a lackluster performance against the Carolina Panthers in Week 7. Fields put up 46 passing yards and 22 rushing yards in the first half before being benched. Taylor threw for 126 yards in the second half but turned the ball over twice in the Jets' 13-6 loss. 

After that contest, Glenn declined to name a starter for the team's Week 8 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. 

The decision ends Fields' future as a starter with the Jets. While it's unclear whether the team can part ways with Fields in the offseason, it will almost certainly add a quarterback in the offseason. Barring a massive turnaround in the second half, the Jets will likely hold one of the first picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. 

The move could also signal the end of Fields' time as a starter in the NFL. Though he showed flashes of brilliance at times with the Chicago Bears, Fields never put it all together. He was shipped to the Steelers in a trade once the team decided to select Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. While Fields led Pittsburgh to a 4-2 record, the team opted to play veteran Russell Wilson once he returned from injury.

New York was supposed to be Fields' chance to prove he had grown as a passer and could be a future starter in the NFL. That didn't happen, and Fields didn't even get the full year to show off his skills.

Given his ability as a runner, Fields could still draw interest from other NFL teams as a backup. For all his faults, Fields can be an explosive playmaker. That's probably enough to earn him some looks once from other teams once his Jets tenure is over ... just not as a starter. 

This story will be updated.