The Kansas City Chiefs have not been afraid to make a splash during NFL free agency. They added Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker Kenneth Walker III and traded away Trent McDuffie for draft picks. Now the Chiefs are set to acquire a new backup quarterback for Patrick Mahomes.
The Chiefs are finalizing a deal to acquire Jets QB Justin Fields in a trade pending a physical, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Kansas City is expected to send a 2027 sixth-round pick in exchange for Fields, per Schefter.
Schefter added that other teams were interested in acquiring Fields. But the veteran quarterback's preference was to go to Kansas City.
Kansas City will take on $3 million of the $10 million that Fields is guaranteed in 2026.
This move seems like a win-win for both teams considering the recent developments surrounding each franchise.
For the Chiefs, Mahomes tore his ACL during Week 15 against the Chargers. He is confident that he can return early in the 2026 season, possibly even starting in Week 1. However, that does not mean he will be fully healthy for the entirety of the team's offseason program.
The minimum that Kansas City gets out of this deal is a quarterback who can handle QB1 reps during the offseason, plus a new backup behind Mahomes after that. But if Mahomes ends up needing additional rehab time, Fields is capable of starting a game or two.
As for the Jets, Geno Smith looks like their new starter which made Fields expendable. New York recoups a draft pick from that Smith trade, and saves some cap space by shedding Fields' contract. They must feel good about this trade too.
It would be fascinating to see how Andy Reid shapes his offense around Justin Fields if he ends up playing any significant snaps.
