Four years after Justin Fields was selected with a first-round draft pick, we’re finally going to have a chance to see him realize his potential as a superstar — by potentially upgrading a Jets offense that was stuck in the mud last season with a four-time NFL MVP at quarterback.

I’m not suggesting Fields — who’s joining the Jets on a two-year, $40 million deal (with $30 million in guarantees) to help usher in the Aaron Glenn era — will ever top Aaron Rodgers‘ accomplishments as a player. But the 6-foot-3, 227-pounder could serve as an explosive offensive weapon for New York, with the talent and playmaking ability to supercharge an attack featuring budding stars Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson. With a creative new coordinator poised to take the offense to another level after tapping into the notes compiled throughout his time with the Detroit Lions, the Jets could emerge as a heavyweight — and Fields could be leading the charge.

Now, I know the offseason routinely produces a “hype bunny” who commands attention as a marquee free-agent signee. But the optimism surrounding Fields goes deeper than that, rooted in a perfect marriage between quarterback, head coach and team.

Glenn, the former Lions defensive coordinator, certainly knows what Fields is capable of after being terrorized by the ex-Bears QB back in the NFC North. In four matchups against Glenn and Detroit between 2022 and 2023, Fields posted three 100-yard rushing games for Chicago, recording a 5:2 touchdown-to-interception ratio as a passer. As an explosive dual-threat with MLB arm talent and Pro Bowl-caliber running skills, Fields scares the bejesus out of defensive coordinators tasked with defending an elite athlete at quarterback.

Last season, Fields was traded to Pittsburgh, where he was putting together a solid bounce-back campaign — until a surprise benching in favor of Russell Wilson put a damper on things. Before then, Fields flashed enough in limited action to suggest he could thrive in a managerial role in New York. As the point guard of a conservative Steelers offense that relied upon the run game and a hard-hitting defense to win, Fields posted a 4-2 record with career-best marks in completion percentage (65.8%), passer rating (93.3) and interception percentage (0.6%). His ability to play winning football as an athletic game manager meshes with how the Jets seemingly want to operate under Glenn and offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand, who worked on the Lions’ staff with Glenn.

To get a sense of Engstrand’s offensive philosophy, consider how he talked about the Lions last June, when he was still working for Detroit:

“We talk about being a physical, detailed football team,” Engstrand said. “The feet are cemented in that now. It’s not something that was foreign to me when I got here, but if there was ever something to get cemented in — that’s it, that’s really what I believe in. Something I would also say is explosiveness — the explosive plays and the importance of it. We’re chasing that every week and I think that’s something that is at the forefront of our minds as we as we’re trying to game plan and win these games is how we can do that as well.”