Roster News: Justin Fields traded to Chiefs

The Jets were obviously always going to let Justin Fields go, but we suspected they might be able to trade him instead:

Trade: the New York Jets are finalizing a deal that will send QB Justin Fields to the Kansas City Chiefs, pending a physical, per ESPN sources. Other teams were interested, but Fields’ preference was to go to Kansas City. pic.twitter.com/HFgFODMi0r

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 16, 2026

The Jets, who are getting a 2027 sixth round pick and giving up a seventh-rounder in the deal, would have been on the hook for $10 million if they cut Fields but $20 million if he remained on the team.

Instead, the Chiefs are getting him on a salary of $3 million, and the Jets are paying the rest of his $10 million in guaranteed salary as a pre-trade bonus.

What's not clear is whether the Jets are also paying any of the $10 million of salary that was not guaranteed but this seems unlikely, so it was presumably just cancelled.

They will also be on the hook for dead money amounting to $12 million from last year's signing bonus but nothing after this year. The net effect of all of this should be a $4 million net current year cap saving, unless he is receiving any of the non-guaranteed salary from the Jets.