The Chicago Bears have been staring down a quarterback dilemma for the last few months. Blessed with the overall no. 1 pick in this April’s NFL draft, thanks to last year’s trade with the Carolina Panthers, they’ll have first dibs on highly regarded blue chip QB prospect Caleb Williams of USC.
However, they currently have Justin Fields starting at quarterback. Fields is a young, talented potential impact player who has shown flashes of brilliance throughout his three-year NFL career and, this past season, showed signs of maturity as a team leader on the field. The 24-year-old’s 10-28 record as a starter and his overall stats are not good, however.
Chicago Bears QB Draft Plans
The general feeling among experts is that the Bears will draft Williams with their first pick, banking on the acquisition of a true elite-level franchise quarterback who has already drawn comparisons to 4-time MVP Aaron Rodgers. And, if that happens, that means that Fields will be traded to a team who is banking on him being their elite-level franchise quarterback.
The question, though, is where would Fields be dealt and who would be willing to pick up Field’s fifth year option, which would guarantee him big money.
Teams such as the Pittsburgh Steelers, Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots and Washington Commanders have all been mentioned as entities with possible interest in Chicago’s one-time QB of the future.
A QB Decision as Early as Next Week
Current reports indicate that the Bears, trying to avoid distraction and get their plans lined up before the draft, may be making that decision to trade Fields as soon as next week, with details to be worked out at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.
“I think the bones of the trade will be set next week,” Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated said in an appearance on ESPN 1000, Chicago on Friday. “There’s some urgency on the Bears part to get something done.”
There even appears to be a front runner in the race to acquire the talented, but sometimes inconsistent QB.
NFL insider Matt Lombardo of Fanbuzz has laid out who he feels has the inside track on acquiring Fields:
“The Atlanta Falcons are going to come away with a franchise quarterback this offseason. Nothing matters more to the franchise’s trajectory than getting the right signal caller to maximize the young and explosive weapons in place.
Owners of the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, there seems to be significant momentum building towards the Bears trading Justin Fields.
Fields’ skill-set, particularly as a runner and his ability to extend plays to buy time on passing downs with his legs, makes him an ideal fit for an offense that features explosive and versatile running back Bijan Robinson and field-stretching wide receiver Drake London.”
All in all, the Falcons trading for Fields makes sense. Fields is an Atlanta-area native and the feeling is that he could become something truly special with the right tweaks and working under the right system. The team, also, most definitely, needs some stability at quarterback.
Atlanta will have the overall no. 8 pick in this year’s draft and that will probably preclude them from having access to any of the top quarterbacks in this upcoming class. So, if they want a young QB with star potential, this year, it’ll have to be via trade– most likely, a trade for Fields.
What Would The Chicago Bears Get for Justin Fields?
But what could the Bears get in a trade with the Falcons?
Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN First Draft believes that Chicago could get Atlanta’s first-round pick this year (no. 8 overall). Most everyone else, though, believes that Fields will go for a second-rounder and maybe a third or fourth-rounder.
If the reports are correct, everyone will have the answer to all questions regarding a Justin Fields trade by the end of next week.
