The Kansas City Chiefs have a litany of reasons to buy at the trade deadline with almost no incentive to sell, with the one distinct exception of quarterback Justin Fields.
Kansas City spent a sixth-round pick for Fields in March, agreeing to take on $3 million of his guaranteed salary this season if the New York Jets assumed the other $7 million on the deal. Fields is on a two-year contact worth $40 million total that ends after this season does.
The former first-round pick is just 27 years old and in his sixth NFL season. The Chiefs dealt for him in case Patrick Mahomes was unable to return from an ACL tear in December of last year in time for Week 1, with some early projections guessing that the two-time MVP might miss the first three or four games of the campaign.
But Mahomes clawed his way back onto the gridiron in time for Week 1 and has played all but one of the Chiefs’ offensive snaps this season. Head coach Andy Reid wouldn’t even put Fields in late against the Denver Broncos in Week 8 to attempt a QB sneak from the one-yard line that would have won Kansas City the game and moved them to 6-1 on the season with the outright AFC West Division lead and a 2-0 record against Denver, the team’s biggest rival.
So if the Chiefs aren’t interested in utilizing Fields’ skill set in the one instance it might make more sense to play him than Mahomes, given that the team refuses to call QB sneaks for its regular starter, then why not move Fields ahead of the deadline and recoup a better draft pick than the sixth-rounder the Chiefs gave up this spring to acquire him?
Lamar Jackson Injury Puts Ravens in Considerable Need at QB
One team that instantly comes to mind is the Baltimore Ravens, who lost Lamar Jackson for at least the next six weeks, and possibly the remainder of the season, due to a thumb injury on Sunday that will require surgery to repair. Baltimore also saw backup QB Tyler Huntley go down with a turf toe injury, which are notorious for their capacity to linger.
That resulted in third-string signal-caller Joe Fagnano, a 25-year-old undrafted rookie, taking most of the offensive snaps against the Buffalo Bills to disastrous results. The Ravens are 4-4 and play the Jacksonville Jaguars (5-2) coming off of a short week on the November 5 edition of “Thursday Night Football.”
Baltimore is not going to trade for and incorporate a quarterback quickly enough to start him in that game, which reads as essentially a guaranteed loss. If the Ravens fall to 4-5, they could decide to sell ahead of the November 10 deadline.
However, it is more likely that the team tries to make a move to save its season in the hopes that Jackson might return for the last few games and that a wildcard playoff berth is not out of the question. In that scenario, Fields is among the best potential options for whom the Ravens could make a trade.
Justin Fields Would Likely Fit Well in Ravens’ Offense
The Chiefs should be able to get a fifth-round pick back for Fields, and possibly even a fourth-rounder if the Ravens truly desire to remain competitive, which would perhaps make them desperate enough to send out that strong of an asset.
Fields is a mobile quarterback who possesses the ability to make explosive plays with his legs, which is something the Ravens have long relied on from Jackson. As such, the offense the team already has in place should be a more natural fit for Fields than in some other places he could land.
The quarterback has appeared in 60 games over the course of his career, including 53 starts. He has completed 61.4 percent of his passes for 9,039 yards, 52 TDs and 32 INTs. Fields has also rushed the football for nearly 2,900 yards and 23 TDs during his career.
Plus, the combination of Fields and running back Derrick Henry would create a potent, run-first offensive identity for Baltimore while they await Jackson’s return to health.
Chiefs Trade Pitch Flips Justin Fields to Desperate Rival for Draft Pick Overpay