‘Praying Over And Over’: Justin Fields Keeps The Faith In The Face Of Adversity
It has been a tough year for Justin Fields. After leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers in search of a fresh start with the New York Jets, Fields found himself in a familiar position — struggling to win and fighting to keep his starting job.
Nearing the midway point of the season, the Jets remained winless and Fields was destined for the bench in favor of backup Tyrod Taylor. Heading into Sunday’s matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, it was unclear whether Fields would ever start again.
When Taylor was sidelined with an injury, Fields got his chance. This time, Fields made the most of it, playing one of the best games of his NFL career and leading the Jets to a dramatic 39-38 comeback road win.
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After the game, Fields spoke openly about what the win meant to him and the emotions that came with it.
“It’s been a lot for me emotionally, spiritually. When I was on the field, I was damn near about to start crying, not because we won but because of the goodness of God,” said Fields, a native of Georgia who in 2021 was drafted by the Chicago Bears.
Those words captured not just the relief of victory — but the deep personal journey Fields has been on this season. Being an NFL quarterback is one of the most demanding jobs in sports. The pressure, scrutiny and expectations can break even the most talented players.
Leading a losing team only magnifies that burden. But on Sunday, Fields showed resilience, faith and belief in God through good times as well as in bad ones. As the Jets head into their bye week, the victory, Fields said, felt like more than just a win — but a moment of renewal for both quarterback and team.
“Not wavering faith-wise. I was praying over and over again, just one win. All that to say is, God is real. God is good. Everything that we go through in this life is for a purpose,” he said.
Fields described how much he leaned on his faith this past week and dealing with being on a team that was 0-7 heading into Week 8.
“I'm going to get pretty vulnerable right here. This week I found myself in my closet crying on the ground, laying down,” he admitted. “Not because of the hardships, not because of the troubles. I felt like I was built to handle that. I was put in place to handle this situation. But in that moment, I was talking to my best friend. How hard it was.”
This isn’t the first time Fields has spoken about the role of faith in his life. Back in August, the 26-year-old quarterback reflected on a spiritual reawakening that had reshaped how he approached his career and daily life.
Though he didn’t share the exact events that sparked this change, Fields made it clear that his faith — and especially reading the Bible — had become more central than any playbook.
“Yeah, I mean, me really getting closer to God, like I said, my relationship, me reading the Bible every day,” he told reporters at the time. “And if I’m being real, there are some great lines and great wisdom that I didn’t even know of. So I’m low-key addicted to getting in my Bible each and every day just because I learn something new every day and I’m able to apply it in my everyday life.
“But, I mean, I was sleeping on reading the Bible earlier in my life and I wish I would have started earlier. So I encourage y’all to, you know, go read a little bit. Start in Proverbs and move on from there.”
Asked if this newfound faith will ultimately help him succeed, Fields didn’t hesitate: “I know it will. I know it will, for sure.”
Clemente Lisi is executive editor at Religion Unplugged.