In less than a week, the New York Jets reshaped their quarterback room with two major moves. First, the franchise acquired Geno Smith along with a seventh-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the same draft from the Las Vegas Raiders. Then, just days later, the Jets sent Justin Fields to the Kansas City Chiefs for a 2027 sixth-round pick.

Both decisions clearly altered the structure of the quarterback room. But the financial side of the transactions is just as important to understand. For context, Fields had signed a two-year, $40 million contract with the Jets ahead of the 2025 season, with $30 million guaranteed.

Because of that deal, New York will still cover part of his salary even after the trade. According to ESPN, the Jets will pay $7 million of Fields’ $10 million guaranteed salary for the 2026 season. Kansas City, meanwhile, will take on the remaining $3 million. A similar financial arrangement also exists in the Jets’ situation with Smith.

Smith had one year remaining on his deal when he was traded to the Raiders. Before the 2025 season, he signed a two-year, $75 million extension with Las Vegas. Now, as part of the trade agreement between the Raiders and Jets, New York will pay $3.3 million of Smith’s salary, while the Raiders remain responsible for the remaining $16.2 million for the 2026 season.

From a broader perspective, trading Fields to Kansas City essentially balanced the books for New York. By moving last year’s starting quarterback, the Jets effectively offset both the draft capital and part of the financial commitment they took on when acquiring Smith as their new starter.

The move also reflects how Fields’ time in New York unfolded. After showing flashes during his earlier stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he arrived with a certain level of optimism surrounding the Jets’ offense. But the season quickly took a difficult turn.

In Aaron Glenn’s first year as head coach, the Jets rotated through multiple quarterbacks. Fields struggled to find consistency and ultimately finished the season with a 2-7 record as the starter.

The team eventually benched him on November 17, and he never returned to the field. Fields ended the year on injured reserve because of a knee issue.

Statistically, the season never quite came together. Fields finished with 1,259 passing yards, a 62.7 percent completion rate, seven touchdowns, and one interception. Among quarterbacks with at least 200 attempts, he ranked 31st out of 36 passers in Total QBR with a rating of 37.3.

That performance also drew public criticism, including from Jets owner Woody Johnson. Johnson openly questioned the team’s struggles during the early part of the season and blamed Fields for a poor start.

“It’s hard when you have a quarterback with a rating that he’s got,” Johnson said. “I mean, he has ability, but something just is not jiving. … If we can just complete a pass, it would look good.”

At the time, Fields brushed off the comments and said he did not pay attention to the criticism. But the situation eventually shifted anyway.

Now, after losing his starting role in New York, Fields begins a new chapter in Kansas City. With the Chiefs, he is expected to serve as Patrick Mahomes’ backup.

Justin Fields could earn valuable reps in Kansas City

Backup quarterback has been a major concern for the Chiefs ever since Patrick Mahomes went down with a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee. The situation became even more pressing when backup quarterback Gardner Minshew left Kansas City and signed with the Arizona Cardinals last week.

After that move, the Chiefs were left with only Chris Oladokun and Jake Haener on the quarterback depth chart. Now, with Justin Fields arriving in Kansas City, he is expected to step into the role as Mahomes’ primary backup for the 2026 season.

Still, Mahomes is currently rehabbing what is considered the most significant injury of his career.

“I want to be ready for Week 1,” Mahomes said a couple of months back. “The doctors said I could, but I can’t predict what happens throughout the process. That’s the goal, to play Week 1 and have no restrictions. You want to be out there healthy and give us the best chance to win. I hope to do some things in OTAs and training camp and be able to do things there.”

While Mahomes is still expected to be available for the Chiefs’ 2026 season opener, Fields gives the team another option during the offseason.

Fields will likely handle a significant portion of the offensive work under head coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy throughout the offseason program and possibly much of training camp as well.