All signs point to the Chicago Bears trading quarterback Justin Fields at some point this offseason and selecting USC standout Caleb Williams in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Just don’t tell newly minted Pro Football Hall of Famer Devin Hester that.
During a recent appearance on FanDuel’s Up and Adams Hester explained why he would keep Fields rather than select Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming draft.
“There’s a lot of stuff going on with Caleb right now,” Hester said. “[If] I was a GM, it’s too much attention going on right now with the quarterback like that. You look at all the quarterbacks that come in the draft, and has a lot of things going on, it kind of carries with them throughout their career … things off the field, it could be small things, could be big things, it’s too much right now.
“I feel like the type of quarterback Justin Fields is similar but better with running the ball. I don’t see a big difference. When you’re drafting a quarterback, you’re trying to draft compared to the quarterback you have. If the quarterback you’re trying to draft is showing more excitement, or better, you go out and draft that quarterback. But, with these guys being so similar, I don’t think you go out and draft a quarterback similar to what you already have.”
Williams is viewed by many executives inside the league as a generational prospect, and there is some skepticism that Fields can develop into much more than he has already shown thus far in his career.
“I would think long and hard about taking Williams,” an NFL offensive coach recently told me. “You always upgrade that spot when you have the chance to.”
Justin Fields Trade Market Drying up For Chicago Bears
Even if general manager Ryan Poles and the Bears want to trade Fields, it may prove to be a struggle.
After Kirk Cousins signed with the Atlanta Falcons right out of the free agency chute, the Las Vegas Raiders came to terms with Gardner Minshew, and the Vikings came to terms with Sam Darnold, there aren’t many teams still in the market for a starting quarterback who won’t be within striking distance of one of the top prospects in the NFL Draft.
The New York Giants make some sense, if general manager Joe Schoen is not as convinced as he sounds that Daniel Jones can win a Super Bowl. Similarly, the Denver Broncos have a void in the wake of releasing Russell Wilson.
There’s also the chance that the Seahawks get involved for Fields, who could offer more upside than Geno Smith this fall.
Beyond those three franchises, the Bears may need to significantly lower their asking price and Fields his expectations because he may be earmarked to a situation where he will be backup or forced to compete for a starting job in 2024.
Poles and the Bears are set to pick No. 1 and No. 9 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, so it would seem unlikely that Chicago passes up on the opportunity to select Williams and continue building around him at the top of the board.
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