There have been many trades this offseason so far, and even one that was reversed by a team backing out. It has been exciting to see teams throughout the NFL make moves to either upgrade their rosters or look to the future, but one under-the-radar trade may have been among the best.
After a bad year in New York, quarterback Justin Fields was traded from the Jets to the Kansas City Chiefs to back up Patrick Mahomes.
Nick Wright Believes Justin Fields Can Play Alongside Patrick Mahomes
Last year, Mahomes went down with a season-ending knee injury in mid-December, and there is no timetable for his return. That does not mean he will be out for much of next season, but it also does not mean he will be ready for Week 1. This is why the Chiefs needed to get a backup option, and in the end, that was Fields.
With the Jets, Fields did not have the season head coach Aaron Glenn expected when they signed him to a two-year, $40 million contract. According to PFSN’s QB Impact Metric, Fields was ranked 33rd overall last season. But for the Chiefs, this does not matter.
If Mahomes is out for some games, Fields can be a fine player to come in and make some big plays in this offense, and while Mahomes is healthy, Fields can develop to possibly become the franchise’s starting quarterback in the future.
When Fields is sitting, NFL analyst Nick Wright believes the Chiefs have the opportunity to do something really fun with the athletic quarterback, which could allow both quarterbacks to see playing time.
When talking about Fields added to the Chiefs, this is what Wright had to say: “I wanted the Chiefs four years ago to sign Cam Newton, so we can run quarterback sneaks again. Just make teams when they play the Chiefs, spend 10 minutes of practice that week dealing with the wildcat quarterback run package.”
“I think Fields can get on the field even once Patrick is back and healthy.”
“I think (Justin) Fields can get on the field, even once Patrick (Mahomes) is back and healthy.”
– @getnickwright on Justin Fields being traded to the #Chiefs. pic.twitter.com/kcmUhi3Swm
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) March 18, 2026
Wright makes a really good point: Fields’ athleticism is too valuable a weapon for Kansas City not to utilize in some way. Also, the Chiefs do not want Mahomes to be a rusher and put his body at risk, especially after the knee injury, so Fields can take over that role.
BE AN NFL GM: PFSN’s Ultimate GM Simulator
It’s going to be interesting to see what the Chiefs end up doing with Fields, and even if he is just a backup who does not get on the field, making the trade was still a great idea just in case another injury occurs.
