All signs point to the Chicago Bears taking a quarterback #1 overall this April. That means GM Ryan Poles must figure out what to do with Justin Fields. The obvious option on the table is trading him. He played well for stretches last season, is still on his rookie contract, and has lots of ability compared to other QBs around the league. Somebody is bound to take a chance on him. Multiple insiders have suggested the Bears can easily secure a 2nd round pick for him, with a legitimate chance at a 1st.

Poles likely has an idea of which teams are interested. It would be shocking if he hasn’t already received exploratory calls. The obvious question for fans is who those teams are. We finally got something of an answer courtesy of NFL Network. Their top insiders collected information on the current quarterback market and what to expect. They reaffirmed the Bears’ commitment to drafting somebody at #1 and trading Fields. However, this time, they added an actual team to the information.

The Atlanta Falcons.
“If that all tracks, expect the Bears to be able to fetch a premium pick for Fields, who came on late in the season and flashed the potential he’s always had. The kind of leader he is in the locker room stands out, as well. This should be an active market, with teams such as the Falcons, in need of a quarterback but possibly drafting too late (No. 8 overall) for a premium one, emerging as an option, along with any other team that doesn’t believe it can land a top QB in the draft…

(Later, when discussing the Falcons)

…Another option is a free-agent QB or a trade target like Fields. That’s the name many around the NFL connect to Atlanta, though it’s unclear for sure if that’s the spot. New head coach Raheem Morris will work with GM Terry Fontenot for the best option.”

Justin Fields to the Falcons has always made sense.
For one, their team is in a miserable quarterback situation with Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke. Fields is significantly more talented and proven than both. For another, he’s a Georgia native. He grew up watching and idolizing Michael Vick. If anybody were destined to play football for the Falcons, it would be him. Let’s also not forget former Bears GM Ryan Pace is a prominent member of their front office. He is the one who traded up for Fields in the 2021 draft. It isn’t hard to imagine him pushing inside the building to make the move.

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Atlanta picks #8 overall. They’re in a difficult position. The odds of one of the top three QBs falling to that spot are remote. They could look to trade up, but that would be far more expensive than a trade for Justin Fields. It feels unlikely they’d be able to lure one of the top free agent options like Kirk Cousins or Baker Mayfield to Atlanta. So it comes down to whether they feel the second or third QB taken in the draft is a better price to pay than a calculated gamble on Fields. It isn’t hard to see why they might be leaning that way.

The question is whether another team beats them to the punch.