The Kansas City Chiefs acquired quarterback Justin Fields from the New York Jets on Monday, sending a 2027 sixth-round pick to New York, sources told ESPN.
Fields, 27, preferred a move to Kansas City, though other teams had shown interest. The trade followed the Jets’ acquisition of Geno Smith from the Las Vegas Raiders to be their 2026 starter, a move that made Fields expendable in New York.
To complete the deal, the Jets agreed to pay $7 million of Fields’ $10 million guaranteed 2026 salary; the Chiefs will cover the remaining $3 million. That structure mirrors the Smith trade, in which the Jets are paying $3.3 million while the Raiders covered $16.2 million of Smith’s salary.
Kansas City will lean on Fields — a mobile quarterback — to run the offense during the offseason and likely through a good portion of training camp as MVP Patrick Mahomes rehabs from December surgery to repair torn ACL and LCL ligaments in his left knee. Mahomes, a nine-year veteran, has said his goal is to be ready for Week 1 but acknowledged uncertainty in the recovery timeline. Coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy will oversee Fields’ integration; Reid has praised Mahomes’ dedicated rehab work with athletic trainer Julie Frymyer.
The move fills a notable vacancy at backup quarterback after Gardner Minshew signed with the Arizona Cardinals last week. Before the trade, the Chiefs’ remaining options at quarterback — Chris Oladokun and Jake Haener — had combined for just three career starts.
Fields’ exit from New York had been expected after the Jets added Smith. He struggled in his lone season with the Jets, was benched on Nov. 17 and finished the year on injured reserve after a knee issue flared following his demotion. Signed last year to a two-year, $40 million deal with $30 million guaranteed as a key acquisition in coach Aaron Glenn and GM Darren Mougey’s first year, Fields went 2-7 as a starter for the Jets and ranked 31st of 36 qualified passers in Total QBR (37.3). He finished the season with seven touchdown passes, one interception and 1,259 passing yards, managing just 505 yards in his final five starts.
Fields briefly delayed the benching with a 244-yard performance in a Week 8 comeback win over the Cincinnati Bengals, but production declined after that. Jets owner Woody Johnson publicly criticized Fields during the team’s 0-7 start. Originally a 2021 first-round pick by the Chicago Bears, Fields is 16-37 as a starting quarterback and will become the fourth team of his four NFL seasons.
With Smith now in New York, the Jets’ quarterback room includes Brady Cook and Bailey Zappe behind the new starter. The trade closes a turbulent chapter for Fields in New York and provides Kansas City an experienced, mobile option to shepherd the offense while Mahomes recovers.
