The 2021 draft class had five quarterbacks taken in the first round. Of those, only Trevor Lawrence secured the franchise quarterback label with the team that drafted him, the Jacksonville Jaguars. The rest, including Zach Wilson, Mac Jones, and Trey Lance, are either viewed as busts or have bounced around as backups. Justin Fields is trending towards the latter group. But I believe that it’s not just about the quarterback, it’s about the system.

Take, for example, players like Sam Darnold (New York, Carolina) and Baker Mayfield (Cleveland Browns). They struggled early in their careers before finding stability because they found better environments. Fields has shown flashes of being a legitimate starter, but has remained on unfavorable rosters. Until now. It’s unlikely he takes over in Kansas City with Patrick Mahomes healthy, but I believe his stint with the Chiefs could be the right place to reset his career.

After long, Justin Fields has chosen development over uncertainty

He has been in this situation before: stepping into a backup role after starting, only to be called upon again when the starter went down. During the 2024 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the plan was to roll with Russell Wilson before he suffered a reaggravated calf injury. Fields stepped in and went 4-2 across six starts. But once Wilson returned, the opportunity disappeared, and Fields was pushed back into a limited, gadget-type role.

He then had a turbulent stretch with the New York Jets before finally signing with the Chiefs while Patrick Mahomes recovers from a torn ACL and LCL. It’s clear Fields will handle QB1 reps throughout the offseason. Everyone understands the situation. But consider the obvious:

He signed, knowing he’ll move back once Mahomes returns. So, even when he is in arguably the most stable environment of his career, his path to becoming “the guy” is the most limited. But from the moment he arrived in Kansas City, Fields made it clear why he mindfully chose this situation, pointing to the culture and the chance to learn from Mahomes and Andy Reid.

“I wanted to come here because of the [Chiefs’] culture, because of Pat and to learn from him and Coach [Andy] Reid,” he said. “Just the winning, to be honest.”

It’s a familiar NFL script.

Sam Darnold followed a similar arc. Drafted third overall in 2018, his stint with the New York Jets was defined by instability. There was coaching turnover from Todd Bowles to Adam Gase, a weak offensive line, limited weapons, and injuries. After a 4-12 rookie year, things never really stabilized, even as the team briefly rebounded to 7-9. The reset came later.

After an uneven stretch with the Carolina Panthers, Darnold spent a developmental year under Kyle Shanahan with the San Francisco 49ers. That system helped recalibrate his game. From there, he earned opportunities with Kevin O’Connell and the Minnesota Vikings, eventually finding stability and success with the Seattle Seahawks.

Justin Fields failed in Chicago, but it wasn’t his fault

Justin Fields’ time with the Chicago Bears followed a similar pattern.

With the Bears, he played under two head coaches, multiple coordinators, and different front office directions. The Bears moved on from Matt Nagy and brought in Matt Eberflus. The defensive-minded head coach then brought Luke Getsy as the Bears’ offensive coordinator.

In 2022, Fields led the league’s top rushing offense, putting up 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground. But the system never fully leaned into that strength, as the offense in Chicago didn’t fully adapt to Fields’ dual-threat ability.

By 2023, instead of building around him, the approach made him more one-dimensional. In the first two games alone, he dropped back 66 times but had only four designed runs. For a quarterback whose strength is mobility, that shift exposed his weaknesses. Across three seasons, he absorbed 135 sacks.

My point is simple: Fields struggled as a pocket passer in Chicago. The one area where he thrived, his rushing ability, wasn’t fully utilized. Now, he’s in Kansas City with Reid, Eric Bieniemy back in the offensive setup, and Mahomes as the standard in the room.

“We still don’t know with 100% certainty what Justin Fields is going to be. And this is a way for him to gather and regroup, kind of like Sam Darnold-ish, kind of Geno Smith-ish, and maybe does enough in Kansas City to get an opportunity to go somewhere and earn playing time, maybe even a starting job in 2027,” Mike Florio noted.

Of course, that doesn’t guarantee Fields becomes a Super Bowl champion two years from now. But working within a system led by Reid, Bieniemy, and Mahomes gives him a chance to refine his game, understand structure, and potentially position himself for a starting opportunity elsewhere in 2027.

The Chiefs could unlock what the Jets failed to maximize in Justin Fields

Following a good year with the Steelers, Justin Fields was supposed to be the Jets’ savior, but he became the next victim of their quarterback curse. Take Week 6 against the Denver Broncos as an example. Fields threw for just 45 yards but lost 55 yards on nine sacks, leaving the Jets with negative 10 passing yards. In total, he made nine starts, went 2-7, and recorded 1,259 yards with seven touchdowns before being benched.

Fields’ struggles in 2025 were clear. But at the same time, the Jets didn’t fully lean into what he does best.

Fields is a dual-threat quarterback. When the passing game was inconsistent, the Jets could have utilized Fields in the ground game, where he has historically thrived. But even before the season began, former offensive coordinator Taron Engstrand said:

“We’re always going to do what the players do best, what they excel at. But there are also things in our system that Justin may or may not have done before, or that I know he hasn’t done well, that we’re challenging him to do. So far, he’s shown he can do that.”

In reality, though, the results didn’t follow. Fields leaned more into the passing game, struggled in the pocket, and was sacked 27 times.

The Chiefs, meanwhile, have an offense that has shown a willingness to adapt. Look at the 2025 season. With Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco dealing with inconsistency, Patrick Mahomes carried both the passing and rushing load, finishing with 422 rushing yards and five touchdowns before his injury.

This offseason, the Chiefs have taken steps to reshape the offense around the quarterback’s strengths. They added Kenneth Walker III and brought back Eric Bieniemy. Walker’s arrival points to an improved run game, while Bieniemy’s return signals a sharper passing structure, especially given his past work developing Tyreek Hill during his previous stint in Kansas City.

When Fields said he wanted to play alongside Mahomes and under Andy Reid, it started to connect. The environment, the coaching, and the structure all line up with why he chose Kansas City and why this stint has a real chance to work. And ahead of the draft, Reid made it clear that the Chiefs have traded for Fields to use him as a legitimate starting quarterback rather than just a gadget guy.

“I appreciate Justin and the way he’s gone about everything so far,” Reid said. “I mentioned down at the owner meetings that we didn’t bring him in to be a gadget guy. Although he can do every gadget there is, but 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.”

While Patrick Mahomes is targeting a Week 1 return, that timeline still depends on medical clearance from his doctors, the organization, and Reid. That leaves a realistic window where Fields could start early regular-season games. And if that scenario materializes, I believe that will give Fields a legitimate chance to impress the quarterback-needy teams in 2027.

Two different paths: Justin Fields plays it safe, while another QB rolls the dice

Justin Fields could have chosen a different scenario this year. He could have signed with a quarterback-needy team, competed for the starting job, and potentially started in the 2026 season, just like Tua Tagovailoa, who signed with the Atlanta Falcons after a couple of disappointing seasons.

In Atlanta, Tua gets some of the best offensive playmakers with tight end Kyle Pitts and wide receiver Drake London leading the receiver room, and Bijan Robinson establishing himself as one of the best emerging running backs in the league.

On top of that, Michael Penix Jr. is returning after a season-ending injury, but the new regime led by general manager Ian Cunningham and head coach Kevin Stefanski isn’t sold on him. If I put it in simple terms, Tua’s looking for one successful season (he signed a one-year deal) to impress the NFL clubs. And which team is better than the one that already has one of the best offensive weapons, a new regime, and a starting QB returning from an injury?

But Tua’s approach comes with a risk. If he gets the QB1 job and performs well, he will attract several offers. But if he fails, this might become his last opportunity. So, it’s a 50-50 scenario.

Justin Fields, meanwhile, has played it safe and has nothing to lose but everything to gain from this season. After a fallout with the Bears, a strong stint with the Steelers, and another turbulent season with the Jets, Fields is looking to reset his career. And for that, he’s not seeking a QB1 job in 2026. In fact, he’s learning under the best coaches and playing alongside the two-time MVP in Mahomes.

With the 2026 NFL draft now done and dusted, the Chiefs will soon kick off the next phase of their offseason program. And Justin Fields will be the center of attention.