Justin Fields went 4-for-4 in the first quarter and drew praise from NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe after the Kansas City Chiefs’ 20-12 preseason loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Although the Chiefs were not looking as vigilant as they usually are, veteran Fields was on par.  Sharpe praised Fields on his Nightcap podcast alongside Chad and Joe Johnson, while the three discussed the Rams’ win. 

“I thought Justin Fields looked good,” Sharpe said. “He has that ability to look good. I just thought after watching him at Ohio State, I was just like, oh, he can’t miss. He’s got legs, he could run. I mean, he could throw the football. I mean, he can’t miss.”

Sharpe talked about Fields’ ability to look good on the Nightcap podcast on August 16. Ohio State Buckeyes.

Sharpe also praised Fields for his time with the Ohio State Buckeyes, where he played the 2019 and 2020 seasons. He earned the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year award for both seasons.

Fields completed 396 of 579 passes, with a completion percentage of 68.4 percent, for 5,373 passing yards in 2 years. He also recorded 63 passing touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Moreover, he recorded 218 rushing attempts for 867 yards, including 15 rushing touchdowns in those two seasons.

Fields is expected to start the Week 2 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But why was Fields put on the field in the first place, while the three-time Super Bowl champion was benched?

Why Fields got the start: Mahomes’ knee injury

Fields was acquired by the Chiefs from the New York Jets for a 2027 sixth-round pick to become the backup to Mahomes amid his serious knee injury, according to ESPN. He was put to the test in the first preseason game, and he didn’t disappoint.

Mahomes suffered an ACL and LCL injury to his left knee on December 14 in a 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. After surgery, he is still recovering but hopes to return for the Week 1 regular season game against the Denver Broncos on September 14.

The other quarterbacks who took the field were Garrett Nussmeier and Chris Oladokun, with Nussmeier also impressing by completing 13 of 19 passes for 98 yards. Head coach Andy Reid also had a few words after the game.

“(It was) good to get a preseason game under our belt,” Reid said. “There were some good things, and there are some things we got to clean up.”

While the Chiefs move on with a defeat in their hands, positives from backup QBs like Fields and Nussmeier will give them some confidence going back to practice.

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