Cam Newton breaks down true nature of Justin Fields' contract with Jets

Former Carolina Panthers quarterback and league MVP Cam Newton explains why it's not really a 2-year deal.

Oct 20, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterbacks Justin Fields (2) and Russell Wilson (3) watch the action against the New York Jets during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Contracts in the NFL are usually reported as a yearly average, such as Justin Fields' new contract with the New York Jets, which has been called as a "two-year, $40 million deal." However, if you've been paying attention to this part of the game long enough you know that the only number that really matters is the guaranteed money - and when it runs out.

Few would know better how deceptive contract reporting language can be than former league MVP and Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, who earned nearly $135 million during his pro career. The harsh truth in this business is that practically every player in the NFL is on a one-year, prove-it deal, with the rare exceptions usually being well-established franchise quarterbacks and even those guys are not safe if they have a bad season.

Justin Fields has ludicrous amounts of potential, but he's not that yet and his new deal with the Jets is in actuality better characterized as a one-year deal with $30 million guaranteed. Here's Newton breaking it down on his most recent 4th & 1 podcast.

Cam Newton on Justin Fields' contract

"This contract ain’t security—it’s a test. If your production doesn't match your price, they’ll move on FAST."@CameronNewton on why Justin Fields’ deal is really a one-year prove-it contract pic.twitter.com/IQlKerHq4y

— 4th&1 with Cam Newton (@4thand1show) March 13, 2025

According to Over the Cap, Fields technically has a $20 million base salary for the 2026 season. However, the Jets have a relatively easy out if they don't like how he performs in 2025. Cutting him before June 1 doesn't work out great cap wise, but a post June 1 designation saves the team $10 million in cap space and comes with $13 million in dead money. That's a pretty small price to pay for missing on a quarterback these days.

The Jets would come out even better if they trade Fields, which will save them $20 million and only hit them up for $3 million in dead money. Even if Fields struggles, it probably wouldn't be difficult to find a trade partner willing to give him another chance (at least as a backup) based on his upside.

So, how will it go? While we still believe in Fields' ceiling, a lot of different factors go into whether or not a quarterback takes that next step - and many of them he has no control over whatsoever. Even if Fields takes a big leap forward on the field it may come to naught if the Jets ownership decides to send Garrett Wilson away at the trade deadline for a seventh-round pick because it worked out on their Madden franchise mode.

The point is Fields will need a strong supporting cast to take that next step. While there are great individual pieces here and there on the Jets roster and people who know what they're doing on the coaching staff, building that infrustructure around the quarterback starts at the top. Given the Jets' history it probably won't go well for Fields. Stranger things have happened, though.

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