Shannon Sharpe believes quarterback Justin Fields is on the final straw of his NFL career.
Sharpe and former NFL wide receiver Chad Ochocinco took to their podcast, “Night Cap,” to discuss the Kansas City Chiefs recently trading for Fields from the New York Jets. The Chiefs acquired Fields after sending the Jets a sixth-round NFL draft pick.
Sharpe asked, if Fields can’t succeed in Kansas City under coach Andy Reid, where can he succeed? While the former NFL tight end acknowledged that Fields has played for some poorly run organizations in his NFL career, at some point, the burden of responsibility needs to be carried by Fields himself.
“But I like this Justin Fields, hopefully he can figure it out,” Sharpe said (4:16). “Because look, we throw everything on the work that he did with the Jets, because like you said, the Jets are not a very well-run organization and they don’t have the best pieces around him. Okay? Uh, what are we gonna throw out Chicago?”
“At some point in time, we gotta stop throwing out stuff. At some point in time, hey, the baby just dirty. And we can’t just keep throwing out bath water, nah, the baby dirty. And in this situation, at some point in time, Ocho, we gotta say, ‘Hey, we’re gonna have to put some of this on Justin Fields.’ I agree. I think the Jets, I don’t think the Jets did him any favors. I think Chicago, there are some things that he could have done better,” Sharpe added.
“But at some point in time, Ocho, we gotta start holding these players accountable. We can’t keep blaming organization, organization, organization. There are some bad run organizations. I will concede that. But you can’t go to 15 organizations and say that every last one of them is run poorly. At some point in time, you’re not doing your job,” he concluded.
Justin Fields Hopes to Revitalize His Career With Kansas City
Justin Fields has had a turbulent run in the NFL since joining the league in 2021. The former first-round draft pick of the Chicago Bears was moved to Pittsburgh in 2024, as the Bears shifted their focus to drafting Caleb Williams.
In 10 games played in Pittsburgh that season, Fields impressed with 1,106 yards passing, with five touchdowns and just one interception. The New York Jets took a chance on Fields in 2025, hoping he’d be their answer at quarterback.
Unfortunately, it didn’t work out, as Fields played in just nine games, tossing seven touchdowns, one interception, and just 1,259 yards through the air. After a terrible beginning to the season, which included an 0-7 start, Fields was eventually benched in favor of Tyrod Taylor and was also placed on injured reserve in late December with a knee injury.
Now, he has the opportunity to back up two-time NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City. With Mahomes currently recovering from an ACL injury, Fields could potentially be the Chiefs’ starting quarterback in Week One if Mahomes isn’t ready to play on opening day.
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