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
