Justin Fields began the Kansas City Chiefs’ offseason program Tuesday, stepping into his fourth team in four seasons with a simple explanation for why he wanted the move. He said he came to Kansas City for the culture, for Patrick Mahomes and to learn from Mahomes and coach Andy Reid.
“Just the winning, to be honest,” Fields said, describing why the Chiefs appealed to him after a trade from the New York Jets that sent him to Kansas City this week. The Jets agreed to pay $7 million of his $10 million contract, and the Chiefs are trying to build depth around a quarterback room that could be tested early.
Fields started nine games for the Jets last season, completing 62.7% of his 204 pass attempts for 1,259 yards with seven touchdowns and one interception. Now he arrives with a chance to work inside one of the league’s most successful operations and, at least for the moment, a clear view of the path ahead if Mahomes is not ready.
Mahomes is expected to rehab from ACL and LCL injuries, and the Chiefs hope he can return by Week 1. That puts Fields in line to handle offseason work and leaves open the possibility that he could be the quarterback asked to carry the team into the start of the season.
Fields said he and Mahomes knew of each other before the trade but had not really communicated until he joined the Chiefs. Since then, he said he has already started picking Mahomes’ brain and watching how he moves in meeting rooms and on the field. He also said he was excited to work with Reid, offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and the rest of the offense.
Reid, who has watched Fields through stops in Chicago and New York, made clear he sees more than a backup. “He’s a legitimate quarterback, a starting quarterback in the NFL, and we’re lucky enough to have him here,” Reid said. He added that if Fields has to play early in the season, the team has full confidence he can do a great job.
Fields was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the first round in 2021, and Tuesday offered another reset for a quarterback whose career has already moved quickly from promise to churn. He said the change does not alter how he approaches the job. “Regardless of me starting or being a backup, I’m going to attack [each day] the same way,” he said. “My goal is to get better, any way I can. My mindset doesn’t change.”
For Kansas City, the move gives Reid a veteran quarterback with starting experience behind Mahomes, and potentially a temporary starter if the timeline on Mahomes slips. For Fields, it is a chance to learn in a room built around winning — and to prove he can hold it together if the season opens with him in charge.
