The Chicago Bears will be moving on from quarterback Justin Fields– that seems to be the consensus opinion among fans and experts, anyway. With the no. 1 overall pick in this year’s NFL draft– giving them a clear shot at picking up USC Heisman Trophy winner, QB Caleb Williams– many see it as a no-brainer that the Bears will snatch up the hot prospect to begin a new era in Chicago football.
But what to do with Fields? There’s been a thought floating about that says it might be a good idea to keep him aboard for at least one more season as a backup to Williams and a general insurance policy. That, however, might make Williams’ entrance a tough and awkward fit.
But which teams will step up to a deal with the Bears and what will they be willing to offer in return for a quarterback who is still, after three full years in the league, very much a work in progress?
There are a handful of playoff-possible teams currently in desperate need of a quarterback and who won’t have access to drafting a high-end hurler in this year’s draft. That’s the market Chicago will be addressing.
In some corners of the media, with analysts who’ve been reading between lines, some of those teams are already making themselves known.
According to reports, the Las Vegas Raiders and the New England Patriots have both recently met with former Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, ostensibly for their own vacant offensive coordinator positions.
While these could be as innocent as what they were painted to be– job interviews– some feel that there was something else at play, especially considering Getsy’s disastrous run with the Bears which saw the team deliver horrendous numbers under his guidance. Perhaps, as Erik Lambert of Sports Mockery seems to believe, there was a bit of recon info being gathered on Fields, a prelude to a stab at making a trade.
Linked to Trades?
The Raiders and Patriots have already been linked to proposed Justin Fields trades by media and both are most definitely in need of a QB fix ASAP. So, them being interested in the talented, but sometimes erratic Fields would come as no surprise.
One such deal, conjured up by Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports, would have the Bears sending Fields to the Raiders along with a 2025 sixth-round draft pick in return for a third-round selection this year and a conditional third-round pick in 2025 that could become a second-round pick if Fields plays 75% of the snaps this coming season and then a first-round pick if the Raiders make the playoffs.
In a scenario involving the Patriots, posted by Glynn Morgan from Yahoo Sports, the Bears trade Fields and their second first-round draft pick this year (no. 9 overall), as well as a sixth-round pick in 2025, for New England’s first-round, third overall pick, its 103rd pick (4th round), and 2025’s third and fifth-round picks.
While both of those deals were merely proposed trades cooked up by media people, they do sort of underline the fit between a Bears team possibly eager to deal their quarterback and teams in need of an NFL-ready quarterback.
Other Teams Interested in Fields
Other than the Raiders and the Patriots, other teams have also been tossed into the “We might want Justin Fields” mix. Notably, the Atlanta Falcons have been linked to the Georgia-based Fields several times since the end of the regular season. The Pittsburgh Steelers have also been brought up as a possible interested party.
How Much is Fields Worth?
The consensus among execs and other NFL insiders is that Fields may command as little as a pair of day 2 picks (possibly a second-round pick and fourth-round pick) via trade, but some have opined that he could bring in a first-rounder under the right conditions.
Is the drawing of lines between teams interviewing Getsy and trading for Justin Fields just a wild football conspiracy theory or could there be some merit to the idea?
