The Seattle Seahawks may be a good choice for the top remaining quarterback in the market.
As urged by ESPN’s Louis Riddick, believes the Seahawks should make a move for Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields. Fields is still available, but there hasn't been much interest in the 25-year-old quarterback.
“The Seahawks should get Justin Fields #Seahawks …. I have been saying it all day,” writes Riddick. “You have one QB on the roster. Let him compete.”
Why Seahawks Could Decide to Pursue Justin Fields
It's not crazy for the Seahawks to consider trading for Fields. They currently have nearly $46 million in salary cap space, which is the sixth-most among NFL teams. the sixth-most of any team in the league.
Also, while the Seahawks plan to bring Geno Smith back for another season, they have to decide if he will be the starting quarterback under new head coach Mike Macdonald. Additionally, former backup quarterback Drew Lock signed with the New York Giants.
Since the start of free agency, the Seahawks, along with the Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, have not signed any outside free agents. This means they have the room in their budget for Fields’ cap hit, which is only $6 million for the upcoming season.
Riddick is not the only analyst who sees the Seahawks as one of the few remaining suitable teams for Fields in a dwindling market. Most teams looking for a quarterback, like the Pittsburgh Steelers and Atlanta Falcons, have already filled their void for the 2024 season.
This means the Bears may be more urgent to trade the dual-threat quarterback, especially with the possibility of Chicago choosing Caleb Williams with the top pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
Seahawks Have Not Shown ‘Serious Interest’ in Justin Fields
Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team mentions the Seahawks as a potential destination, but says they haven’t shown “serious interest.”
“Many people thought [the Bears] could probably get a second-round pick for [Fields]. But here we are, after a day of free agency and so many moves, [and] it is starting to become really hard to figure out where is a Justin Fields’ destination,” Meirov said. “The [Denver] Broncos — it does not sound like they have much interest. Maybe if the price goes down. We’ll see about that. Then the one team that people have thought maybe could make sense is the Seattle Seahawks, but up until now it doesn’t feel like they’ve had serious interest.”
With the Seahawks under a new regime and having unloaded several of their former key veterans, they’re likely looking for a new franchise quarterback. While some mock drafts have Seattle pegged as drafting a quarterback in the first round, they could consider parting with a third or fourth-round pick for Fields.
“Could Chicago maybe get a little bit creative?” Meirov said. “They wanted a second-round pick. Maybe they’ll have to settle for a fourth-round pick, but put some conditions on [that] pick — like it becomes a third if he plays a specific amount of snaps, [or] it becomes a second if [the team] makes the playoffs.”
While Fields still needs to improve as a thrower – his completion rate of 61.4% was the 29th best among all quarterbacks last season – his running ability and potential make him an attractive choice for teams in need of a quarterback. His 178 rushing yards in a single game set an NFL record, and he is one of only three quarterbacks to rush for 1,000 yards in a season.
If the Seahawks believe that Fields is a better choice than one of the second-tier quarterbacks in the draft, they could trade a Day 3 pick for the athletic QB.
