The Kansas City Chiefs traded for quarterback Justin Fields as an insurance policy this offseason, but a red-hot start for Patrick Mahomes could make him expendable as another injury-hit team looks for a replacement.
The New York Giants are expected to bring on more help after Jaxson Dart suffered what is expected to be a season-ending injury. CBS Sports writer Tyler Sullivan suggested they could find a candidate in Fields, whose value to the Chiefs is quickly changing.
Chiefs Could Consider Trading Justin Fields
As Sullivan reported, the Giants are expected to make an imminent move at quarterback after losing Dart in Monday’s game. They turned to veteran Jameis Winston as an immediate fill-in and are expected to elevate Jake Haener from the practice squad as a No. 2, but could need a long-term quarterback closer to Dart’s mobile skill set.
Sullivan noted that Fields would already be a familiar face for Giants offensive coordinator Matt Nagy.
“While he’s never played for the Giants or John Harbaugh before, New York does have some familiarity with current Chiefs backup quarterback Justin Fields thanks to the presence of Nagy,” Sullivan wrote. “The Giants OC worked with Fields during his rookie season in 2021, when he was the head coach of the Chicago Bears. Acquiring Fields would certainly unlock the rushing component of Nagy’s offense, averaging 48.2 rushing yards per game over his career.”
Sullivan added that the Chiefs could be more willing to trade Fields now that Mahomes has soothed concerns that he could start slow coming back from a torn ACL that cut short his 2025 season.
“However, Mahomes has been able to return with flying colors, which could make Fields expendable,” Sullivan wrote. “That’s especially true if K.C. is comfortable elevating rookie Garrett Nussmeier as their top backup.”
It’s not clear if the Chiefs would feel the same way. The Seattle Seahawks showed the value of a proven backup when Sam Darnold went down at the start of their season opener, leading the team to insert Drew Lock and follow him to a 2-0 start.
Jaxson Dart Draws Patrick Mahomes Comparison
Nagy said he hopes Dart will take a similar path to Mahomes, who was able to quickly undergo surgery last year and jump-start his rehab process. If he is able to stick to the same timeline, Dart would theoretically return for the playoffs.
“I went through it last year with the quarterback I was with, and you got to see how he attacked that from the very next day, and that’s what Jaxson’s going to do,” Nagy said, via the New York Post. “He kind of mentioned he’s ready to go right now. He’s kidding. He wants to be out there.
“But it’s just who he is. It’s a part of his journey. This will make him stronger, and we’ve just got to be there for him, and we’ve got to understand that what he did up until this point has been good.
“So now, when he does get back, whenever that is, it’s going to be a beautiful thing.”
Chiefs Face Trade Prediction for ‘Expendable’ Justin Fields After Jaxson Dart Injury