New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields during a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 7, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid revealed at the NFL league meetings in Arizona that the Chiefs are comfortable with starting Justin Fields at quarterback until Patrick Mahomes is 100 percent in his recovery after suffering an ACL injury late in the 2025 season.
The New York Jets traded a 2027 sixth-round pick to the Chiefs for Fields earlier this month. Reid has full confidence that Fields will be up to the task if called upon.
“Well, we snuck out and got a good quarterback to back him up,” Reid said, via Judy Battista of NFL Media. “So, if he doesn’t, you know, if he’s not able to make it for the beginning of the season, then we know we’ve got a legitimate backup there that can go win games for us.”
Had the Jets released Fields, they would’ve had to eat $10 million in guaranteed money. By trading him, they take on just $7 million, while the Chiefs will pay $3 million.
Fields signed a two-year, $40 million deal (including $30 million guaranteed) with the Jets last March. To say the least, though, Fields’ time with the Jets was an absolute disaster.
Fields struggled to the point of being benched halfway through the season. Things weren’t any better off the field, either, with team owner Woody Johnson criticizing Fields to the media.
“It’s hard when you have a quarterback with the rating that we’ve got. He has the ability, but something is not jiving,” Johnson told reporters during the NFL owners’ fall meetings in New York City. “If you look at any head coach with a quarterback like that, you are going to similar results across the league.
“The offense is just not clicking, and you can’t run the ball if you can’t pass the ball. That’s football 101.”
New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields on Sept. 8, 2025. – Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Fields went 2-7 as the Jets’ starter, including a 34-32 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1. He was benched twice in his lone season with the Jets.
General manager Omar Khan and the Steelers acquired Fields for a 2025 sixth-round draft pick in March 2024. As Russell Wilson recovered from an injury, Fields began that season as Mike Tomlin’s starter behind center, but was benched after six games. During that stretch, he went 4-2, passing for 1,106 yards, five touchdowns and just one interception. He also rushed for 289 yards and five scores.
Fields started games for the Steelers in 2024 and went 4-2 before being replaced by Russell Wilson, who was returning from a training camp calf injury.
Fields, 27, was the Chicago Bears’ first-round pick at No. 11 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. With things not panning out in New York, Fields will now try to get his career back on track playing under Reid and behind three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes.
Mentioned In This Article: Andy Reid Justin Fields Kansas City Chiefs New York Jets Pittsburgh Steelers Steelers Steelers News