The Green Bay Packers saw Jeff Hafley officially leave town to become the Miami Dolphins head coach on Monday. That has led to the start of their defensive coordinator search, but beyond who replaces Hafley, there could be several players who follow Hafley down to South Beach.
The Dolphins have a major quarterback problem to answer, as it looks like the chapter has closed for Tua Tagovailoa. Malik Willis has been a name that has been linked by fans to Miami already, due to the connection with Hafley and general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan.
As of right now, that looks like the fit that's bound to happen, which means the Packers will need another QB2. And Justin Fields is a player who would make a ton of sense.
Justin Fields Could Be Logical Option at QB for Packers with Wills-Dolphins Buzz Growing
Fields signed a two-year, $40 million deal with the New York Jets last offseason, but things ended on a very sour note. New York is likely going to move on from him and cut the QB ahead of free agency. He started in nine games for the Jets, completing 62.7 percent of his throws for 1,259 passing yards, 383 rushing yards, and 11 total touchdowns. He did have five total turnovers and ended up getting benched during the second half of the season.
Fields isn't going to land another starting job this offseason, and that's why the Packers are a perfect spot. They took a chance on Willis and helped him develop into what looks now like a quality QB. He was a mobile quarterback who needed development as a passer. And under Matt LaFleur, he took those steps.
Fields has a very similar play style and would give the Packers yet another athletic QB as the backup. It won't cost Green Bay much if they want to sign Fields, as he had a bad season with the Jets. The Ohio State product's career has never taken off with the Jets, Bears, and Steelers.
Nonetheless, he stands at 6'3 and weighs 227 pounds. Fields has a powerful throwing arm along with the speed and agility to gain yards as a runner. The ceiling that he can provide as a backup under LaFleur can be very similar to what Willis gave them.
Both guys have very comparable strengths and weaknesses, which makes it an interesting option. The Packers will need a backup, and Fields could be one of the best options they can choose from. They developed Willis and could do the same with Fields.