An ethical dilemma occurred in the locker room at 1 Jets Drive on Friday afternoon.
Is it fair for a former starting quarterback to deny answering a reporter’s question during the very week he had been benched? That’s the conversation now running through the Big Apple.
Justin Fields, the former first-round pick and starter for the Jets offense in 2025, denied speaking with reporters following practice on Friday. This was the last chance reporters had to speak with him before the organization traveled to Baltimore to take on the Ravens.
Fields’ response was quick and short, leaving people wondering who was in the right: New York’s QB2 or local beat reporters.
Justin Fields pushes back … sort of
It was the New York Post’s Brian Costello who got the ball rolling on Friday when he tried to speak to the recently benched Fields. Instead of answering questions, Fields told reporters that he had a scheduled massage he had to get to.
When asked about his feelings, the quarterback was contrite.
“There’s no reaction. That’s life. (Expletive) happens.”
Approached Justin Fields at his locker. He said he was going to get a massage and did not have time to talk. I asked his reaction to move.
“there’s no reaction. That’s life. Shit happens.”
— Brian Costello (@BrianCoz) November 21, 2025
The quick conversation brought a debate among fans, players, and analysts. Should Fields—who did not answer questions after Wednesday or Thursday’s practice—have spoken to the media after his benching?
Was Costello and others right to pry an answer out despite the quarterback’s schedule?
In reality, there may not be a correct answer to those very questions. Still, considering the regularity of media controversy around these parts, it is, at the very least, worth pondering.
It’s also important to note that Fields didn’t act in an off-putting way—at least how Costello reported it. He simply declined to provide an in-depth answer while in the confines of the locker room (facility).
Fair, or not?
If one asked Breece Hall about reporters trying to speak to Fields on Friday, the top running back made his thoughts very clear following Costello’s announcement.
“Pathetic move by you tbh,” Hall tweeted. “Wish some of y’all would grow up and stop acting like little kids nagging somebody till they get mad lol.”
Is Hall being fair to reporters asking the question, though? Should reporters even be focused on the Jets’ now-backup quarterback?
The reality is that Fields signed a two-year deal with the team during the offseason. He could be expected back based on that reality. With that understanding, reporters obviously must ask the former starter what his thoughts were on his second benching of the year.
When he was benched during the 2023 season, Zach Wilson spoke to the media the following week. There is a precedent that shows a starting quarterback should answer questions following his benching.
The fact that he is unwilling to speak to reporters after his benching can lead people to several conclusions. Instead of speculating, though, reporters went to Fields to get an understanding of where the quarterback’s head is at.
Hall is not wrong to defend one of his teammates. Fields isn’t necessarily in the wrong for leaving an environment in which he could say the wrong thing, either.
Having said all of that, Costello (or any reporter) is never wrong to ask those very questions. That’s the job.
Fields’ future in New York was clouded well before his quick conversation with Costello. He has not produced to the level Jets fans and coaches would have hoped to this point.
With another year under contract, though, that clouded future is well within the ethical grounds to ask about.
And that’s precisely what reporters did.