In this series, we will look at established players — virtual locks to make this year’s Kansas City Chiefs squad — with the most riding on the 2026 season.
When the Chicago Bears selected Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields with the 11th selection of the 2021 NFL Draft, the player’s current situation was unlikely anywhere on his mind.
Five years later, Fields finds himself the backup passer in Kansas City. After the Bears traded him to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024, the Chiefs will now be Fields’
third team in as many seasons. He spent 2025 with the New York Jets, who traded him to the Chiefs in March.
At the time of Fields’ second trade, the Chiefs faced offseason questions with starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes early in the rehab process from a season-ending knee injury suffered in December.
At his first three stops, Fields was auditioning to be a team’s regular quarterback, and he has been a Week 1 starter each of the last four seasons. It will be disappointing for Chiefs fans if that streak continues.
With the Chiefs reportedly optimistic that Mahomes will be cleared before training camp begins next week, Fields will likely open the season on the bench. Ideally, Fields will not see the field at all this season other than finishing a game’s garbage time amidst a blowout Chiefs victory — or in package plays should head coach Andy Reid design special formations to take advantage of his rushing ability.
Fields is scheduled to be a free agent after the season, and has already played for 12.5% of the NFL’s teams.
If the Kansas City front office were to be entirely honest, the collective would probably prefer that rookie Garrett Nussmeier, the seventh-round pick from April’s draft, show enough over the season to take over as Mahomes’ backup in 2027. With the ever-increasing price of free agent backup quarterbacks, Nussmaier would offer a cost-controlled solution for at least three seasons.
For his part, Fields undoubtedly still has aspirations to be a starter. This is a player who led Ohio State to the 2020 College Football National Championship Game and has started 53 NFL games. He may find himself a hard sell next spring at age 28 after already having three previous chances to claim a starting job. Fields’ biggest question in 2026 likely is whether or not he can transition seamlessly to a backup role.
To be fair, a backup quarterback in the NFL can still be very lucrative employment. Former Missouri Tigers star Chase Daniel (the Chiefs’ backup quarterback from 2013-15) made a career $43 million over 13 seasons despite starting only 5 total games. Expected backups Jarrett Stidham of the Denver Broncos and Marcus Mariota of the Washington Commanders are each expected to make at least $7 million in 2026.
Prospective future teams (including possibly the Chiefs) will want Fields to remain competitive while accepting his place in Kansas City’s quarterback room. The sixth-year pro could also benefit from showing a bit of versatility to his game (given the desirability of backup quarterbacks who can fit a variety of schemes). Fields’ running style will probably always offer more value than his arm, but he teased a higher ceiling as a passer in his short stint with the Steelers to start 2024.
With Mahomes likely to be very limited in the Chiefs’ preseason slate, Fields should have plenty of exhibition opportunities with the Chiefs’ top players to show his ability to run Reid’s offense to audition for other teams (or for a longer stint in Kansas City).
Ultimately, we will not know one of the biggest determining factors in Fields’ fit in a backup role: what he offers in the film room. The reputation he builds in game planning with a veteran (and well-connected) coaching staff will be very important in how teams see his career going forward.
It will be an important year for where Fields’ career goes. With a deep quarterback class expected in next year’s draft, many teams will look for bridge starters for the 2027 season.
If he underwhelms in preseason action or (in the worst-case scenario) in relief of Mahomes when the games matter, it could start to feel very late, very early on Fields’ career.
