Justin Fields traded to Chiefs as Jets send former first-round QB to back up Patrick Mahomes
Kansas City is sending a 2027 sixth-round pick to New York
By
Shanna McCarriston
Mar 16, 2026
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11:29 am ET
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1 min read
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The Kansas City Chiefs are trading for New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields, per CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones. The 2021 first-round pick (No. 11 overall) will back up three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes.
The Chiefs are sending the Jets a 2027 sixth-round pick. The Jets will pay a large portion of Fields’ salary, as he is due $10 million guaranteed.
Mahomes suffered a torn ACL in Week 15 of last season. In January, he gave an news on the recovery, saying rehab was “going great so far.” As Mahomes continues to recover this offseason and into the summer, Fields could take the majority of the reps during offseason workouts and training camp.
Last season, Gardner Minshew was listed as the Chiefs’ QB2 and was named the starter in Week 16 but suffered an injury in the game that ended his season. Minshew is now with the Arizona Cardinals, leaving a spot to fill on the roster.
Justin Fields
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Fields comes in with starting experience, having started 53 of the 59 games he has appeared in, with a 16-37 record. The 27-year-old went 2-7 in nine starts in 2025, struggling with the Jets and going 0-7 to start the year. His performance led to criticism from team owner Woody Johnson.
Fields finished the season with passing 1,259 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception.
