NEWSLETTER
It sounds like the Justin Fields trade market is about to heat up.
To be clear, the Bears have not decided on their 2024 plans for the quarterback position, at least not publicly (obviously they won’t give up that leverage). But because of that reality, the battle between keeping Justin Fields and drafting Caleb Williams rages on. I’m as exhausted as you are on that front. But the good news, I suppose, is that clarity could be coming.
Because if the Bears decide on drafting Williams, this recent bit of reporting from The MMQB’s Albert Breer hints that there could be a market for a Fields trade:
“Such is the case with the Bears and Justin Fields—with the team having gotten a little insight into what his trade value may be. Chicago staffers got inquiries from other teams on Fields in Mobile. And while the Bears haven’t shopped Fields, those conversations did allow the team to start to gauge the 2021 first-rounder’s worth out there on the market.
The Bears are meeting over the next couple weeks to finalize plans at quarterback, with the expectation that they’ll have the plan in place in Indianapolis next week.”
This reads as if the Bears aren’t actively shopping Fields (necessarily) and are instead fielding inquiries from interested parties. Active voice and passive voice have two very different connotations. Whether or not they’re shopping Fields is irrelevant. The optics of making it “we’re not actively trading him, but we’re not turning down offers” is better for both the team and player in this situation. Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, the team is set to finalize their plans at quarterback by the time the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis kicks off next week.
Finally, it looks like the ball is getting rolling on what will be the NFL’s biggest offseason storyline.
We’re on Justin Fields trade watch
Remember, it was Albert Breer who was forecasting that a potential Fields trade could go down around the Combine. That always made sense as a timeline because where else were you going to get representatives from all 32 NFL teams in the same place at the same time? Well, it turns out the answer to that hypothetical is the Senior Bowl — where Breer reports the Bears were shown interest by other teams inquiring about a possible Justin Fields trade.
I love it when things align in a linear, sensible way.
Not only are we one step closer to getting clarity out of this whole situation, but we’re also dangerously close to seeing history repeat itself.
At last year’s Combine, Bears GM Ryan Poles essentially put the “FOR SALE” sign on the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, while publicly setting parameters for what he was looking for in return. Poles also made clear his support for Justin Fields as QB1, reiterating what he said in January 2023 about the team’s plans for the position. It also turns out that the Combine was the launching point for Bears-Panthers trade talks.
I’m not saying that history will repeat itself, but you can see where I’m going with this … right?
MORE: Grading Justin Fields on His 2023 Season
The reality is this: Unless something unexpected happens, either Justin Fields or a prospect to be selected in the 2024 NFL Draft will be quarterbacking this team moving forward. And while the Bears might not have publicly planted their flag for one option or the other, the writing is on the wall and I don’t think we need to squint to see what it says. That Fields is already garnering trade interest figures to help the Bears accelerate through their offseason plans. Because if they wait too long, it could muck up their plans. Threading the needle here will be important for Poles if the Bears are truly to execute a clean passing of the quarterback baton.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are among the teams that have been thrown around the trade rumor mill. After all, Head Coach Mike Tomlin is reportedly a “big fan” of Fields. However, there seems to be an internal debate in Steelers country between Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph. If not the Steelers, teams like the Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots, and Atlanta Falcons represent alternative Fields landing spots. As for a possible return, ESPN’s Adam Schefter thinks the Bears will “definitely” get a second-round pick in a Fields trade.
In the end, I’m looking forward to NFL Combine Week coming (and going). Because not only do I believe we’re going to learn a bunch about some of the NFL Draft’s top prospects, I also feel as if we’ll gain clarity regarding the Bears’ path (as well as Justin Fields’ future) by the time things wrap up in Indianapolis. Stay tuned.
