On Monday, the New York Jets traded quarterback Justin Fields to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a 2027 sixth round pick, a move that finally granted him what he’s deserved.
A chance to develop in the right system and, most importantly, a chance at having a Baker Mayfield-Sam Darnold moment of redemption.
Since being drafted as the 11th overall pick by the Bears in the 2021 NFL Draft, Fields has been both horribly underdeveloped and misused.
In Chicago, he was running for his life thanks to a horrendous offensive line and poor coaching. And just when he seemed to find a groove with newly acquired DJ Moore, he suffered a hand injury that impeded his success.
In 2024, he was traded to Pittsburgh, where it seemed that he had found a fresh start.
He led the team to a 4-2 record and the offense looked like something Steelers fans hadn’t seen in years. Fields threw for 1,106 yards with 5 TDs and 1 INT while completing a career-best 65.8% of his passes. He also added 289 yards rushing and 5 TDs and gave the Steelers a true red zone threat.
Then Russell Wilson got healthy, was inserted into the starting lineup and went 6-1 before losing the last 5 games.
And during that losing streak, Fields was frustratingly relegated to the bench, his talents squandered once again.
Then he signed a two-year, $40 million deal with the Jets.
Things got off to a promising start, but then Garrett Wilson got hurt and Fields, once again, had no one to throw to. Yet he never gave up and in Week 8, he led the Jets to a stunning upset of the Bengals in Cincinnati, a game in which the Jets scored 23 points in the 4Q to come from behind and shock the Bengals.
Fields led the team to two of its three total wins, but in the end, it was the same old story as the Jets moved on and Fields was banished to the purgatory of the sidelines once again.
Now Fields, still a young 27 years-old, heads to the Chiefs, where he has the chance to learn under one of the most experienced and talented offensive trios in the league- Patrick Mahomes, head coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.
In that system, Fields has the chance to develop his game and prove that the Bears, Steelers and Jets were wrong about him.
I think he can do it.
I believe that he can have his Baker Mayfield-Sam Darnold moment and show that he belongs.
Mayfield was the number one overall pick by the Cleveland Browns in the 2018 NFL Draft. He played well in Cleveland, even leading them to a 11-5 record in 2020. But he was shipped out in 2022, and played for the Panthers and Rams that season. Then he headed to Tampa, where he’s finally found a home, posting career numbers and making two Pro Bowls.
Darnold also took years to find his groove.
After being drafted by the Jets with the third overall pick in that same 2018 NFL Draft as Baker, Darnold had three ok years with NY but went 13-25. Then it was off to Carolina where he ran into Baker, his 2018 Draft classmate, in 2022. Then he bounced to San Francisco for a quick stint before finding redemption with the Vikings in one season in 2024, season that he parlayed into a three-year, $100.5 million deal with the Seattle, where he won Super Bowl LX this past season.
It took Mayfield and Darnold five to seven years to find a home and success, and that shows that Fields can have his moment of redemption this year with a fresh start in Kansas City.
Fields has the chance that a few Black QBs in the past have had, including Doug Williams, Randall Cunningham, Warren Moon and Michael Vick, where a change of scenery and a support system helped propel their careers when many doubted they still had what it took to be an NFL QB.
It’s also a path that former Titans and Packers backup QB Malik Willis finds himself this season after signing a three-year, $67.5 million deal with Miami.
Fields has the legs to run by defenders, and now has the group to learn more about passing from. One his challenges in NY was holding on to the ball too long. That’s something he can learn to fix from Mahomes and company.
Now I’m not saying he’s not going to suddenly supplant Mahomes, but he will probably start for him as the All-World QB recovers from the devastating knee injury suffered in Week 15 last season.
And with that opportunity, he can prove he can be a starting quarterback.
Justin Fields deserves his chance at redemption, and if Baker and Darnold can do it, so can Fields.
