The Kansas City Chiefs and New York Jets pulled off a surprising trade on Monday morning. The Jets sent quarterback Justin Fields to the Chiefs in exchange for a 2027 sixth-round pick.
The deal makes sense considering Patrick Mahomes suffered a serious injury in December and may not be ready for the start of the 2026 season. After news of the deal, many in the NFL world took to social media to react.
Chiefs Make Smart Move with Justin Fields Trade
During the 2025 season, Mahomes went down with a season-ending knee injury while the Chiefs were fighting for a playoff spot. The team went on to lose its final six games of the season and miss out on the playoffs.
There’s no guarantee Mahomes will be ready for Week 1, so the Chiefs needed to ensure the backup spot was taken care of. NFL insider Matt Miller called Fields “good Mahomes insurance.”
Good Mahomes insurance https://t.co/mHHtjHasAi
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) March 16, 2026
Fellow insider Adam Schefter mentioned that Fields will now get ample reps this offseason and could “potentially play early in the season,” depending on Mahomes’ recovery.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes is recovering from a torn ACL. Justin Fields now will get ample reps during the off-season and training camp, and could potentially play early in the season depending on Mahomes’ recovery. https://t.co/f7ffXP9rDq
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 16, 2026
One Bears insider, who covered Fields at the beginning of his career, mentioned that working with Andy Reid and Mahomes could be great for his career.
Meanwhile, Jets analyst Will Parkinson was just impressed that the Jets were able to get something in return for Fields at all.
“They actually were able to trade him (Fields)…… my god,” Parkinson said.
It’s no secret that Fields didn’t have a great season with the Jets in 2025, but this trade shows that he still has some value around the league.
Fields Hopes to Succeed with Fourth NFL Team
Fields was originally a first-round pick of the Bears in the 2021 NFL Draft. The quarterback had some moments in Chicago, but ultimately failed to become the franchise passer.
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After three seasons in Chicago, Fields landed with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the 2024 season. The change of scenery didn’t help, as Fields lost his job to veteran Russell Wilson. However, the Jets saw enough to give him a two-year deal ahead of the 2025 season.
In 2025, Fields earned a 69.1 grade from PFSN’s QB Impact metric, which ranked 33rd out of 48 passers. Fields again lost his job to a veteran, and the Jets’ recent trade for Geno Smith seemingly made Fields an afterthought. There will be less pressure in Kansas City, though, so perhaps the quarterback finally finds a home.
