Justin Fields facts for kids
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Fields with the Chicago Bears in 2022
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| No. 7 – New York Jets | |||||||||||||||||
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| Position: | Quarterback | ||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
| Born: | March 5, 1999 Kennesaw, Georgia, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 227 lb (103 kg) | ||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||
| High school: | Harrison (Kennesaw, Georgia) | ||||||||||||||||
| College: |
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| NFL Draft: | 2021 / Round: 1 / Pick: 11 | ||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||||||||||||
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Justin Skyler Fields (born March 5, 1999) is an American professional football quarterback. He plays for the New York Jets in the National Football League (NFL). Before joining the NFL, he played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year twice. He also played in the 2021 National Championship Game.
The Chicago Bears picked Fields in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft. With the Bears, he set a record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a single game. He also became one of only three NFL quarterbacks to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. After three seasons with the Bears, Fields was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024. He then signed with the Jets before the 2025 season.
Contents
Justin Fields' Early Life and High School Football
Justin Fields grew up in Kennesaw, Georgia. He went to Harrison High School. For two years, he was the starting quarterback. He threw for 4,187 yards and 41 touchdowns. He also ran for 2,096 yards and 28 touchdowns.
In 2017, before his senior year, he was named MVP at the Elite 11 quarterback competition. During his senior year, he broke a finger and needed surgery. Even with the injury, he was named Mr. Georgia Football. He was also a great baseball player in high school.
Fields was considered a top recruit. ESPN, Rivals.com, and 247Sports.com all rated him as a five-star player. In October 2017, he decided to play college football at the University of Georgia. His senior year was shown in the Netflix series QB1: Beyond the Lights.
High School Football Stats
| Season | Passing | Rushing | Season | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | TD | Win | Loss | |
| 2016 | 186 | 279 | 66.7 | 2,770 | 23 | 6 | 117.5 | 191 | 1,176 | 15 | 10 | 2 |
| 2017 | 81 | 127 | 63.8 | 1,417 | 18 | 2 | 134.7 | 109 | 920 | 13 | 5 | 2 |
| Career | 267 | 406 | 65.8 | 4,187 | 41 | 8 | 125.3 | 300 | 2,096 | 28 | 15 | 4 |
College Football Journey
Playing for Georgia (2018)
In 2018, Fields was a freshman at Georgia. He was the backup quarterback to Jake Fromm. In his first game, he completed seven of eight passes. He also threw a 10-yard touchdown pass. Later, against Tennessee, he ran for 45 yards and two touchdowns. In a game against UMass, he threw two touchdowns and ran for another.
For the 2018 season, Fields played in 12 games. He had 328 passing yards and four passing touchdowns. He also rushed for 266 yards and four rushing touchdowns. After Georgia lost a big game, Fields decided to transfer to Ohio State.
Transferring to Ohio State (2019–2020)
Normally, players have to wait a year after transferring. But Fields asked for a special waiver to play right away. He argued that he had faced a difficult situation at Georgia. The NCAA agreed, and he was allowed to play for Ohio State in 2019.
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Ohio State's 2019 Season
In his first year with the Buckeyes, Fields helped them win the Big Ten Championship. They beat Wisconsin 34–21. This earned them a spot in the College Football Playoff. Fields finished third for the Heisman Trophy. He was also named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year.
In the 2019 Fiesta Bowl, Ohio State lost to Clemson. Fields threw for 320 yards and one touchdown. He ended the season with 3,273 passing yards and 41 passing touchdowns. He also rushed for 484 yards and ten touchdowns.
Ohio State's 2020 Season
Fields was a top contender for the Heisman Trophy in 2020. The season was shorter due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fields strongly supported playing the season. He even started an online petition to help make it happen.
He led the Buckeyes to another undefeated regular season. They won the Big Ten Championship again. Ohio State then played Clemson in the College Football Playoff. Fields had an amazing game, throwing for 385 yards and six touchdowns. He played through an injury, which Sports Illustrated called "legendary."
The Buckeyes went to the National Championship. They lost to Alabama 52–24. Fields finished the 2020 season with 2,100 passing yards and 22 touchdowns. He also rushed for 383 yards and five touchdowns. He was again named the Big Ten's Offensive Player of the Year. In January 2021, Fields decided to enter the 2021 NFL draft.
College Career Statistics
| Season | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | |||
| 2018 | Georgia | 12 | 0 | — | 27 | 39 | 69.2 | 328 | 8.4 | 4 | 0 | 173.7 | 42 | 266 | 6.3 | 4 | |
| 2019 | Ohio State | 14 | 14 | 13−1 | 238 | 354 | 67.2 | 3,273 | 9.2 | 41 | 3 | 181.4 | 137 | 484 | 3.5 | 10 | |
| 2020 | Ohio State | 8 | 8 | 7−1 | 158 | 225 | 70.2 | 2,100 | 9.3 | 22 | 6 | 175.6 | 81 | 383 | 4.7 | 5 | |
| Career | 34 | 22 | 20−2 | 423 | 618 | 68.4 | 5,701 | 9.2 | 67 | 9 | 178.8 | 260 | 1,133 | 4.4 | 19 | ||
Justin Fields in the NFL
Chicago Bears (2021–2023)
The Chicago Bears picked Justin Fields 11th overall in the 2021 NFL draft. They traded up to get him. He signed a four-year contract worth $18.8 million.
2021 Season with the Bears
Fields made his NFL debut in the first game of the season. He scored a five-yard rushing touchdown. In Week 2, he took over as quarterback after Andy Dalton got hurt. Fields became the starting quarterback for the rest of the season. In Week 5, he led the Bears to a 20–9 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. He threw his first touchdown pass in that game.
In Week 7, he had a tough game with five turnovers. The next week, he rushed for over 100 yards for the first time. He also scored a rushing touchdown. In Week 11, Fields got a rib injury. This made him miss two games. He also missed two more games later due to an ankle injury. He finished his rookie season with 420 rushing yards. This was the most among all rookie quarterbacks.
2022 Season with the Bears
Fields started the 2022 season with a win against the 49ers. In Week 7, he led the Bears to an upset win over the New England Patriots. He rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown in that game.
In Week 9, Fields set an NFL record. He rushed for 178 yards, the most ever by a quarterback in a regular season game. He also became the first NFL player to throw three touchdowns and rush for at least 150 yards in the same game. He was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week. The next week, he rushed for over 140 yards again. This made him the first NFL quarterback to do so in back-to-back games.
Fields got a hip injury in Week 17. This made him miss the last game of the season. He finished his second year with 1,143 rushing yards. He was the third NFL quarterback to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season.
2023 Season with the Bears
The 2023 season started with some tough losses for the Bears. In Week 4, Fields had a great first half. He completed all 16 of his passes. He also had his first game with over 300 passing yards. The Bears had a big lead but lost the game.
The next week, Fields led the Bears to their first win of the year. He threw four touchdowns in that game. In Week 6, Fields dislocated his shoulder and thumb. He missed the next four games. He returned in Week 11. He rushed for 104 yards in that game. The Bears then won a close game against the Vikings.
Fields finished his third season with career-highs in completion percentage (61.4%) and passing yards (2,562). He also threw a career-low nine interceptions.
Pittsburgh Steelers (2024)
On March 16, 2024, Fields was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was traded for a conditional draft pick. The Steelers decided not to keep him for a fifth year. This meant he would become a free agent after the 2024 season.
Fields competed with Russell Wilson to be the starting quarterback. Wilson started the season, but then got injured. Fields became the starter for the first two games. He led the Steelers to two wins. He completed 73.3% of his passes in his first three starts. He also had three total touchdowns. This was the first time he led his team to three straight wins as a starter.
After a few more games, Wilson's injury healed. Fields was then moved back to backup quarterback. He still played in special "package plays" during the season. He finished the 2024 season with 1,106 passing yards and 10 total touchdowns. He appeared in 10 games and started six.
New York Jets (2025–present)
On March 13, 2025, Fields signed a two-year contract with the New York Jets. The Jets announced that Fields would be their starting quarterback.
NFL Career Stats
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular Season
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | Sacks | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | Lng | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Y/A | Lng | TD | Sck | Yds | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2021 | CHI | 12 | 10 | 2−8 | 159 | 270 | 58.9 | 1,870 | 6.9 | 64 | 7 | 10 | 73.2 | 72 | 420 | 5.8 | 23 | 2 | 36 | 264 | 12 | 5 |
| 2022 | CHI | 15 | 15 | 3−12 | 192 | 318 | 60.4 | 2,242 | 7.1 | 56 | 17 | 11 | 85.2 | 160 | 1,143 | 7.1 | 67 | 8 | 55 | 359 | 16 | 2 |
| 2023 | CHI | 13 | 13 | 5−8 | 227 | 370 | 61.4 | 2,562 | 6.9 | 58 | 16 | 9 | 86.3 | 124 | 657 | 5.3 | 39 | 4 | 44 | 285 | 10 | 4 |
| 2024 | PIT | 10 | 6 | 4−2 | 106 | 161 | 65.8 | 1,106 | 6.9 | 55 | 5 | 1 | 93.3 | 62 | 289 | 4.7 | 30 | 5 | 16 | 124 | 6 | 1 |
| Career | 50 | 44 | 14−30 | 684 | 1,119 | 61.1 | 7,780 | 7.0 | 64 | 45 | 31 | 83.9 | 418 | 2,509 | 6.0 | 67 | 19 | 151 | 1,032 | 44 | 12 | |
Postseason
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | Sacks | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | Lng | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Y/A | Lng | TD | Sck | Yds | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2024 | PIT | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 39.6 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 39.6 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Awards and Honors
Justin Fields has earned many awards and honors throughout his career:
- NFL:
- FedEx Ground Player of the Week – 2021 (Week 10)
- NFC Offensive Player of the Week – 2021 (Week 9)
- College:
- Chicago Tribune Silver Football – 2020
- 2× Graham–George Offensive Player of the Year – 2019 & 2020
- 2× Griese–Brees Quarterback of the Year – 2019 & 2020
- Grange–Griffin Big Ten Championship Game Most Valuable Player Trophy – 2019
- Second-Team All-American – 2019
- 2× First-Team All-Big Ten – 2019 & 2020
- SEC Freshman of the Week – 2018 (Week 12)
- High School:
- Elite 11 Most Valuable Player – 2017
- Mr. Georgia Football – 2018
- Class 6A Offensive Player of the Year – 2017
- First-Team All-State – 2017
Records Set by Justin Fields
Justin Fields holds several impressive records:
- NFL Records:
- Most rushing yards by a quarterback in a single game: 178 (November 6, 2022, vs. Miami Dolphins)
- Most rushing yards by a quarterback over a five-game span: 568 (2022)
- Most consecutive games by a quarterback with a rushing touchdown: 6 (2022) (Tied with Johnny Lujack)
- Most consecutive games with 1+ rushing and passing touchdown: 5 (2022) (Tied with Kyler Murray)
- First player to rush for 140+ yards and throw 3+ touchdowns in a single game (November 6, 2022, vs. Miami Dolphins)
- First player to rush for 100+ yards, throw 2+ touchdowns, and rush for 2+ touchdowns in a single game (November 13, 2022, vs. Detroit Lions)
- Only quarterback in the Super Bowl era with multiple 60+ yard rushing touchdowns
- Only quarterback since 1925 to score three rushing touchdowns over 50 yards
- Ohio State School Records (Bowl Games):
- Most completions: 30 (December 28, 2019, vs. Clemson)
- Most passing yards: 385 (January 21, 2021, vs. Clemson)
- Most passing touchdowns: 6 (January 21, 2021, vs. Clemson)
- Most yards of total offense: 427 (January 21, 2021, vs. Clemson)
Personal Life
Justin Fields is a Christian. He was diagnosed with epilepsy when he was a freshman in high school. This information became public during his interviews with NFL teams in 2021. In high school, he scored 29 on his ACT test. He also had a 3.9 grade point average. Fields is a pescetarian, meaning he eats fish but not other meat. His sister, Jaiden, plays for the Georgia Bulldogs softball team. Fields graduated from Ohio State in May 2023. He earned a degree in consumer and family financial services.
