The Kansas City Chiefs are coming off their worst season in recent memory, as it seemed as though nothing went right during the 2025 campaign. As if missing the NFL playoffs wasn’t bad enough, superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes went down with a season-ending knee injury.
With Mahomes working his way back from a torn ACL, the Chiefs had to secure the quarterback position the best they could in the event their face of the franchise was unable to be under center for Week 1.
As a result, they have brought in veteran journeyman Justin Fields to help shoulder the load.
Justin Fields’ Role Made Clear by Andy Reid
GettyPatrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs meets Justin Fields #1 of the Chicago Bears
Although Fields is coming off a rough one-year stint with the New York Jets, longtime Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has liked what he has seen from the 27-year-old thus far, as he said to the media as the team’s offseason program got underway this week.
“I appreciate Justin and the way he’s gone about everything so far,” Reid said of Fields. “He’s been great with everything. I don’t know him as well as I will have known him once we get through a few weeks here, but I like from afar what I’ve seen. I like when I’ve met with him what I’ve seen.”
Reid also felt compelled to set the record straight on Fields and dispel the notion that the Ohio State product is nothing more than a “gadget guy” at the quarterback position for the Chiefs.
“We didn’t bring him to be a gadget guy, although he can do every gadget there is,” Reid said. “We didn’t bring him in to do that. … He’s a legitimate quarterback, a starting quarterback, in the National Football League, and we’re lucky enough to have him here. If that’s the role that he plays early in the season, we have full confidence that he can do a great job with that.”
Clearly, Reid is confident in Fields’ ability to be a starting quarterback, and if Mahomes isn’t able to take the field to start the 2026 NFL season, the Chiefs are going to need the veteran newcomer to contribute right away under center.
Andy Reid Provides an Update on Patrick Mahomes
GettyPatrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs
As for Mahomes, the three-time Super Bowl champion is staying positive while recovering from the knee injury and holding out hope he’ll be ready for Week 1.
Along with chiming in on Fields in Kansas City, Reid also gave a little update on Mahomes’ status.
“He goes to meetings, he can lift, do all of that, rehab,” Reid said of Mahomes. “That’s the phase he is in right now, so we will just see, play it by ear, and see where he is at.
“He’s doing great, but we just have to be smart with this thing.”
It’ll be interesting to see how things pan out for the Chiefs regarding Mahomes’ situation and whether this team can pick up the pieces and put it all together again in 2026.
Chiefs’ Andy Reid Sends Strong Message on Justin Fields’ ‘Gadget Guy’ Label