Justin Fields, Jets
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Former New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields trying to make a play during an NFL game against the New England Patriots.
It’s official.
The New York Jets confirmed that they have traded veteran quarterback Justin Fields to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a 2027 sixth-round pick. This deal was pending Fields’ passing a physical, which he completed on Wednesday, March 18.
After seeing what transpired with the Maxx Crosby fiasco between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Baltimore Ravens, nothing is guaranteed in this league.
Fields Breaks Silence on Trade
With the trade official, Fields took over the Chiefs X account to send a message:
“What’s up, Chiefs fans? It’s Justin Fields here, out here in Kansas City, excited to be here. I’m excited to get to work. Let’s go, Chiefs Kingdom,” Fields said.
ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter revealed on “NFL Live” that Fields wanted to go to Kansas City, and he got his wish via this trade.
This is a deal that made sense for all parties.
Kansas City desperately needed a QB2 behind Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes is recovering from knee surgery, and his status for the start of the 2026 season is in question. The Chiefs lost backup Gardner Minshew, who signed a deal with the Arizona Cardinals.
Fields no longer had a future with the Jets and was eventually going to be released if the team didn’t find a trade partner. Instead, they save some cap space, KC is picking up $3 million of his tab, and they get a future draft asset.
Fields now gets a fresh start as he is set to be on his fourth team in four years:
Fields’ New Role in KC?
Schefter explained that the former Ohio State passer is set to receive the bulk of the reps as the QB1, with Mahomes still rehabbing. That leaves the door open that Fields could start at quarterback if Mahomes isn’t ready to go at the beginning of the season.
When Mahomes is healthy, naturally, Fields will get sent to the bench.
Fields started in nine games this past season for the Jets. After he was benched in favor of Tyrod Taylor, there was speculation that Fields could still have a package of plays even in a backup role on offense.
Fields told ESPN’s Rich Cimini last season that there had been “some discussion about using him in a Wildcat role, but he has ‘mixed feelings’ about it. Going in cold, he said, creates the potential for a soft-tissue injury.”
NFL Insider Connor Hughes of SNY revealed on “Jets Final Drive” this week that hesitation from Fields to contribute in that way rubbed some people the wrong way with the team.
After the trade, Hughes reiterated that Fields had a “reluctance” to be used in a “wildcat role” with the Jets, but said he could be a “real weapon for KC if he’s more open to it there.”
There is a history of players refusing to do something with the Jets, then immediately doing that somewhere else.
When Mekhi Becton was on the team, he infamously tweeted that he was only a left tackle. The first team he joined after leaving New York was the Philadelphia Eagles.
They immediately told him that he’d be playing guard. He accepted that new role, earned a starting job, won a Super Bowl, and then earned a bag in free agency the next offseason.
It worked out for Becton; maybe it’ll work out for Fields.