Quarterback Justin Fields has a new home for 2026.
Fields has been traded to the Kansas City Chiefs, according to multiple reports. The New York Jets will get a sixth-round pick for him, and will assume $7 million of his $10 million guaranteed salary.
The Jets are paying all but $3M of Fields' $10M guaranteed salary — so they're actually saving more money on this deal than they would've by simply releasing him. https://t.co/mmWWbP5t3r
— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) March 16, 2026
ESPN’s Adam Schefter had reported that Fields wanted to go to Kansas City and made that clear to the Jets. New York’s addition of Geno Smith had made Fields expendable, though a release was initially seen as more likely.
The move makes sense for both parties. Patrick Mahomes suffered a severe knee injury in December, and while he hopes to be ready for the start of the season, that is no guarantee. The Chiefs also lost their primary backup to him when Gardner Minshew signed with the Arizona Cardinals. Fields will be able to fill in for Mahomes as long as is necessary and get first-team reps for at least a portion of training camp, and can then serve as a reliable backup from there.
A former 11th overall pick in 2021, Fields started nine games for the Jets last season, going 2-7 in those starts. The team handled him very conservatively, and he averaged just 140 yards per game while throwing for seven touchdowns with one interception.
