Not that it was likely to begin with, but veteran quarterback Justin Fields won’t be returning to the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Monday morning the New York Jets agreed to trade Fields to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Jets will receive a 2027 sixth-round pick in return.
Fields played one season for the Steelers in 2024. While he started just six contests, it was arguably the best NFL campaign of the veteran’s career.
During 2024, Fields completed 65.8% of his passes while averaging 6.9 yards per pass. He also threw five touchdowns and ran for five more while throwing only one interception.
Fields led the Steelers to a 4-2 record. In his other starts with the Jets and Chicago Bears, Fields owns a 12-35 record.
But Fields may have an opportunity to start in Kansas City to begin the 2026 season. Chiefs two-time MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes is recovering from a knee injury he sustained on December 14.
“At minimum, adding Justin Fields allows him to take the bulk of the reps during offseason workouts and potentially into training camp as Mahomes continues to recover in the hopes of being ready for the regular season,” wrote ESPN’s Adam Schefter on X.
Last season with the Jets, Fields completed 62.7% of his passes, averaging only 6.2 yards per attempt. He also had seven touchdowns versus one interception.
New York Jets Trade Justin Fields to Kansas City Chiefs: Report
It initially looked like Fields was going to have a successful tenure in New York.
Although it came in a losing effort, the quarterback had one of his best NFL performances during Week 1 of 2025 against the Steelers. Fields completed 16 of 22 passes for 218 yards with a touchdown. He also ran for 48 yards and two additional scores on 12 carries.
But that came against a Steelers defense that turned out to be one of the most inconsistent in the league last season. Furthermore, every year, a lot of Week 1 performances prove to be outliers, which was the case for Fields last season.
After Week 1 last season, he completed just 61.5% of his passes and averaged 5.7 yards per pass.
During Week 6, Fields threw for 45 passing yards while playing the entire game. ESPN’s Rich Cimini called it the “worst passing performance” in Jets history.
After nine starts, the Jets benched Fields for Tyrod Taylor. Fields finished the season on injured reserve because of knee soreness.
A lot of pundits and fans argued last year the Steelers should re-sign Fields before 2025 NFL free agency. Instead, the team allowed the quarterback to test free agency. The Jets signed Fields to a 2-year, $40 million contract.
Fields will have one year left on his deal now with the Chiefs. The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt reported the Jets saved $3 million of Fields’s $10 million guaranteed salary with the trade.
That was a greater savings than if the team simply released Fields.
What Will Steelers Do at Quarterback for 2026?
With the Steelers needing to address quarterback this offseason, Fields was a long shot target for the team this spring.
The Steelers weren’t going to give up anything in a Fields trade. But if he reached the open market, then perhaps he could have become an option.
Bringing back Fields, though, would have only been on the table if the Steelers liked the idea of starting Mason Rudolph or Will Howard next season. After his rough 2025 campaign, Fields wasn’t going to be a candidate to start for many team next fall.
He will only get that chance in Kansas City if Mahomes isn’t healthy.
The slim chance of the Steelers reacquiring Fields is now gone. The Steelers need a starting quarterback anyway, so it’s not a major loss.
On Sunday, ESPN’s Brooke Pryor reported the team and quarterback Aaron Rodgers “continue to engage in positive conversations.”
As things stand on March 16, most pundits expect Rodgers to return in Pittsburgh for 2026.
Former Steelers QB Justin Fields Traded to New AFC Foe: Report