The Kansas City Chiefs addressed their need for a backup quarterback on Monday, trading a 2027 sixth-round pick to the New York Jets for Justin Fields. And the veteran quarterback reportedly targeted the Chiefs as his next destination.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Nate Taylor and Rich Cimini, Fields “wanted to continue his career in Kansas City, although other teams were interested in acquiring him after the Jets last week acquired quarterback Geno Smith in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders to be their new starter in 2026.”
It’s possible that Fields won’t be a backup early in the season, given that Patrick Mahomes is recovering from a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee, suffered in December. That means he may not be available for the start of the 2026 season.
“I want to be ready for Week 1,” Mahomes told reporters. “The doctors said I could, but I can’t predict what happens throughout the process. That’s the goal, to play Week 1 and have no restrictions. You want to be out there healthy and give us the best chance to win. I hope to do some things in OTAs and training camp and be able to do things there.”
Fields, 27, gives the Chiefs a nice insurance policy, and one that isn’t terribly expensive. Kansas City will only pay $3 million of Fields’ $10 million in guaranteed salary next season, with the Jets absorbing the rest of the bill as part of the trade.
It never seemed likely that Fields would return to New York, even before the acquisition of Smith. The dual-threat quarterback struggled in the nine starts he was given in the Big Apple, throwing for 1,259 yards, seven touchdowns and an interception while completing 62.7 percent of his passes. While he also rushed for 383 yards and four scores, the Jets were just 2-7 in his starts.
And when team owner Woody Johnson publicly criticized him during the team’s seven-game losing streak to start the 2025 season, it became a relationship that seemed unlikely to be repaired.
“It’s hard when you have a quarterback with a rating that he’s got,” Johnson told reporters in October. “I mean, he has ability, but something just is not jiving. … If we can just complete a pass, it would look good.”
Now, Fields will get a fresh start with the Chiefs, his fourth team in as many years.
