Andy Reid reveals how Justin Fields will get Chiefs head start in 2026

Andy Reid reveals how Justin Fields will get Chiefs head start in 2026 originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The Kansas City Chiefs have made a couple of shrewd moves this offseason as the franchise looks to freshen up the roster ahead of the 2026 season.

One move that was interesting was trading for Justin Fields. Needing a backup plan for Patrick Mahomes, who is rehabbing his torn ACL, the Chiefs needed a dependable backup to step in if Patrick isn't able to go in Week 1. So, Fields will likely take most of the first-team reps, at least early in the offseason program, so he can get caught up on Andy Reid's system.

But the head coach revealed that Fields won't be starting from square one in Kansas City. “It’s not going to be completely foreign to him,” Reid said via Jesse Newell of The Athletic . “We look forward to getting him in there, but most of all, because he’s a good player.

And if Pat (Mahomes) can’t (play) for whatever reason, now you’ve got a legitimate guy in there that can play and win games for you. ” More: Chiefs reveal key reason for Justin Fields signing Fields gets Chiefs jump start So, Fields won't be starting from scratch with a completely new system; there will be parts that he will have seen before, so that will accelerate his development this offseason. That's good for the Chiefs.