Justin Fields’ first few years in Chicago saw him struggle to find stability, and he moved teams before hitting a low point in his career with the New York Jets. However, he has now found his way to the NFL’s mountaintop. But it wasn’t the allure of a Super Bowl ring that sealed his decision to join the Chiefs.

“I mean, of course, Coach Reid has been in the NFL a long time, has had a lot of success, and, you know, very smart,” Justin Fields said, as per KC Sports Network. “So that was, of course, a deciding factor for me and an exciting factor for me when I came here, and then, of course, Pat, you know. We kind of knew of each other, of course, but we didn’t really communicate before coming here. So I’m excited to learn from him.”

As highlighted by the 27-year-old, Andy Reid has been one of the top coaches in NFL history and arguably the best one in the league over the last decade as the leader of the Chiefs dynasty. Reid has an overall record of 307–174–1 and won three Super Bowls (LIV, LVII, LVIII) in Kansas City. However, Reid’s biggest attribute has been his ability to maximize and elevate quarterbacks with an incredible dual-threat ability.

Be it former Philadelphia Eagles QB1 Donovan McNabb, a late-career Michael Vick with the same franchise, or Patrick Mahomes with the Chiefs, Reid has ensured his signal-callers can perform at the highest level consistently. McNabb and Reid made nine playoff runs, five NFC Championship games, and Super Bowl XXXIX. Reid was the 2002 Coach of the Year, and McNabb took home six Pro Bowl honors and was the Eagles’ all-time leader in passing yards and wins.

Similarly, Michael Vick, under Reid in Philadelphia (2009–2012), won the 2010 NFL Comeback Player of the Year award, an NFC East title, and a 10-6 record that season. Then, coming to Patrick Mahomes, the 2017 tenth overall pick has established himself as the best quarterback in the league with three Super Bowl rings (LIV, LVII, LVIII), three Super Bowl MVP awards, two NFL MVP awards (2018, 2022), and six Pro Bowl selections.

Hence, as the new Chiefs backup, Fields will hope to have a similar career revival after a year in New York, in which he recorded seven touchdown passes, one interception, and 1,259 passing yards. Fields was placed 31st out of 36 passers in Total QBR (37.3) among quarterbacks with at least 200 attempts, according to ESPN, while leading the franchise to a 2-7 record as a starter.

As Justin Fields gears up for a fresh start, it appears to be smooth sailing so far, with Andy Reid himself praising his new backup quarterback ahead of the 2026 season.

“He’s a legitimate quarterback,” Andy Reid praised Justin Fields

With QB1 Patrick Mahomes requiring surgery in December to repair the torn ACL and LCL in his left knee after a game against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Chiefs completed a crucial trade for Justin Fields in exchange for a 2027 sixth-round draft pick. While there’s speculation about Mahomes being ready for Week 1, the Chiefs are expected to be cautious with their franchise player.

Hence, there’s a strong possibility that Justin Fields could feature in the initial phase of the season, especially after Andy Reid praised the former Jets signal-caller after their limited interactions throughout this offseason.

“I appreciate Justin and the way he has gone about everything so far,” Reid said Monday. “He’s been great with everything. He’s a legitimate quarterback, a starting quarterback in the NFL, 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.”

Only time will tell whether Fields will join the long list of quarterbacks who excelled under Andy Reid. However, things have started well for the 27-year-old as he navigates this new chapter in Kansas City.