The Chiefs needed a veteran quarterback with starting experience. The Jets had one too many.
And while it’s not exactly an accidental collision between peanut butter and chocolate, the trade that will send Justin Fields to the Chiefs for a 2027 sixth-round pick is a win-win-win for the two teams and the player.
In Kansas City, starter Patrick Mahomes is recovering from a torn ACL. He’s determined to return as soon as possible. The Chiefs need someone who can handle the reps until the team is comfortable clearing him to practice.
In New York, it was clear they wanted to move on from Fields. They were facing the possibility of cutting him and eating his $10 million in fully-guaranteed salary, less whatever he’d make elsewhere (most likely, the $1.215 million minimum for his level of experience).
And while the Chiefs could have waited for Fields to be released, the Jets could have dragged their feet. Since the Jets would have owed Fields nothing beyond the guaranteed $10 million until Week 1, they could have kept him from going to Kansas City and getting to work.
So the Chiefs will pay $3 million ($1.785 million more than they would have paid if/when he’d been cut) and give up a 2027 sixth-round pick to get him immediately. And the Jets will gain the draft pick and pay less than they would have owed if they’d cut him.
On that point, Fields was due to make $20 million total in 2026. Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Fields’s total 2026 salary has dropped to $11 million. As we understand it, the Jets will pay $8 million total and the Chiefs will pay $3 million.
To summarize, the Jets save $785,000 and get a pick, the Chiefs get a veteran quarterback now, and Fields receives $11 million and a potentially perfect destination for his sixth NFL season. He’ll learn from coach Andy Reid, from offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, and Mahomes.
And maybe Fields will get some playing time, if Mahomes isn’t ready — or if the Chiefs aren’t comfortable with the idea of rushing him back.
With Patrick Mahomes on the mend from a torn ACL suffered in December, there’s a chance he may not be ready to return for the start of the regular season.
With that in mind, Kansas City has now made a move to solidify its backup quarterback position.
The Chiefs are finalizing a trade to acquire Justin Fields from the Jets, according to multiple reports.
Kansas City will send a 2027 sixth-round pick to New York to complete the deal.
Via Tom Pelissero of NFL Media, the Chiefs will pay $3 million of the $10 million Fields was guaranteed in 2026, with the Jets paying the rest to facilitate the trade.
Fields, 27, signed a two-year deal with the Jets last March. He started nine games for New York in 2025, with the club going 2-7 in those games. Fields completed 62.7 percent of his passes for 1,259 yards with seven touchdowns and one interception. He rushed for 383 yards with four TDs.
The No. 11 overall pick of the 2021 draft, Fields has appeared in 59 games with 53 starts for the Bears, Steelers, and Jets. He rushed for 1,143 yards with eight touchdowns in 2022, though he also took a league-high 55 sacks that year. Fields played well with the Steelers in 2024, piloting the club to a 4-2 record in the games he started. But Pittsburgh elected to roll with Russell Wilson at QB once he recovered from a calf injury.
Fields will now be in position to take the bulk of the offseason reps as Mahomes recovers.
Garnder Minshew, Kansas City’s backup in 2025, recently signed with the Cardinals. The Jets traded for Geno Smith last week, putting him in position to start for New York in 2026.
Linebacker Demario Davis had two stints with the Jets early in his career and he’ll be back for a third in 2026.
Davis signed a two-year deal to return to the Jets last week and he said at a press conference that the presence of head coach Aaron Glenn was a big part of his decision. While the Jets were just 3-14 in Glenn’s first season, Davis has familiarity with the coach from shared time with the Jets, Browns and Saints and said that he’s learned over his career that “anyone who would talk to you about being part of a great organization would tell you it’s about the people.”
Davis made it clear that he feels Glenn has the right makeup to create that kind of organization because “you walk through the building and you can feel his leadership even before you have a conversation with him.”
“Once my agents let me know the Jets were an option, it was a no-brainer,” Davis said, via the Jets’ website. “I didn’t even need a conversation with him to get on board, to see what he’s building here with the culture. There’s just a ton of excitement.”
Davis is heading into his 15th season, so he brings plenty of experience with him in his return to the Jets and Glenn will likely be leaning on that as he tries to build the kind of winning foundation that has eluded the organization for nearly two decades.
Things didn’t go well for the Jets during Aaron Glenn’s first year as head coach. This year, they’re relying on older players to help get the team’s culture under control.
Veteran defensive tackle Harrison Phillips, who arrived in a late August trade with the Vikings, repeatedly used the term “cancerous” when describing the mood within the 2025 Jets after the season ended.
This time around, the Jets have targeted seasoned veterans, several of whom have played for coach Aaron Glenn in the past. Rich Cimini of ESPN explains the mindset that has led to the effort to bring more gray to Gang Green.
“I think when you bring in guys like that into a football program, I think there’s a level of calm and a level of discipline and not being scared of the unknown,” newly-acquired safety Minkah Fitzpatrick said, per Cimini. “That’s extremely important because when things go bad, people want to press the red button and completely change how to do things.”
The additions include 37-year-old linebacker Demario Davis and 33-year-old defensive tackle David Onyemata, both of whom have ties to Glenn.
Then there’s 35-year-old quarterback Geno Smith, who’s back with the Jets a decade after his last year with the team.
So as the Jets try to build something new and different, Glenn will be relying on old and familiar. If Glenn hopes to have a future in New York, dipping into the past could be the only way to make it happen.
Return specialist Kene Nwangwu is returning to the Jets.
According to multiple reports, Nwangwu has agreed to re-sign with the team. It’s a one-year deal worth $2 million with $1 million guaranteed and another $1 million available in incentives.
Nwangwu joined the Jets in 2024 and he has returned two of the 21 kickoffs he’s fielded over the last two seasons for touchdowns. Nwangwu also had three kickoff return scores during his three seasons with the Vikings and his five career touchdowns are tied for the ninth most in league history.
The Jets also got two punt return touchdowns from Isaiah Williams last season, so their return game was a rare strength during a 3-14 season.
