When an NFL QB Cries, Every Coach Should Pay Attention.
While I was watching the lowlights from my Cowboys blowout loss to the Broncos last night, clips from the Jets’ first win of the season came on. Afterwards, I caught QB Justin Fields’ postgame press conference and wanted to share a few of his words here (you can click the screengrab above to watch it yourself, maybe even with your players):
“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.
I’m going to get pretty vulnerable right here. This week I found myself in my closet crying on the ground, lying down. Not because of the hardships, not because of the troubles — I felt like I was built to handle that. I was praying over and over… just one win.”
For context: Fields had been benched the week before, the Jets were winless, and owner Woody Johnson had publicly criticized his play, putting much of the team’s failure on his shoulders.
I’m not overly religious, so the God aspect of his quote isn’t my main focus (though maybe it is for you). What I do want to highlight is vulnerability — and not just in words, but in visibility.
Here’s a high-profile male athlete naming the emotional weight he’s been carrying. Admitting he cried. Acknowledging the heaviness of his week.
That’s not weakness — that’s connection.
We talk all the time about “winning the locker room,” “building trust,” or “showing leadership,” but this kind of transparency is the foundation of all three.
It’s rare for male athletes to see this level of honesty modeled publicly, and it’s exactly what our “Vulnerability Is a Connection Point” shirt is about: link.
We all know lessons are easier to upload after wins than losses — but this one feels scoreboard-proof. It’s okay to admit something was hard. It’s okay to share your struggles. It’s okay to be honest about feelings that have felt inescapable.
Bravo, Justin.
Coach Prompts
When’s the last time you modeled vulnerability in front of your team instead of just asking them for it?
What spaces in your program allow players to admit, “This week has been heavy”?
Do you treat emotional honesty like a skill worth coaching — or just hope it shows up on its own?
Player Prompts
What’s something that’s felt heavy lately — and who in your circle actually knows that about you?
When was the last time you let yourself feel something instead of hiding it behind jokes or silence?
Why do you think male athletes so often connect vulnerability to weakness instead of strength?
