The Chicago Bears finally made the long-awaited trade involving Justin Fields on March 16. General manager Ryan Poles stated that he believes the trade is in the best interest of both Justin and the Bears after carefully considering the situation. official.
The Bears officially announced Saturday that they have traded Fields — their 2021 first-round pick — to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round pick that could convert to a fourth-round pick based on playing time. According to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, the pick upgrades if Fields plays 51% of snaps during the 2024 season.
Trading Fields has seemed inevitable for the Bears in the last few weeks, given the reports and rumors about trade talks dominating the headlines. Following Saturday’s trade, Poles confirmed this to be true, saying they had multiple trade conversations about Fields recently and feel they made the right choice.
“We have engaged in multiple trade conversations in recent weeks and believe trading Justin to Pittsburgh at this time is the best decision for both Justin and the Bears,” Poles said in a statement. “Today we spoke to Justin to inform him of the trade and the rationale behind it for us as a club. We want to thank him for his tireless dedication, leadership and all he poured into our franchise and community the last three years and wish him the best towards a long and successful NFL career.” a statementFields now moves to Pittsburgh, where he is expected to be the backup for newly-signed veteran quarterback Russell Wilson. The Bears will save about $3.23 million against the 2024 salary cap with the move, providing a small amount of relief. They also no longer have a looming fifth-year option decision (about
$25.6 million) to make before May 2. Bears Made Mistake With Justin Fields’ Trade Market
The Bears are doing right by themselves and Fields trading him now. Keeping him on the roster alongside his top-selected rookie replacement could have created a volatile environment in Chicago, even if both quarterbacks were consummate professionals. Fields also now gets clarity about his future and can dive in with his new team instead of being forced to wait things out past the draft and potentially into training camp.
But let’s not avoid the bigger truth: The Bears seriously misplayed Fields’ trade market.
The Bears took a major risk by not finding a trade partner for Fields before the start of NFL free agency last week. According to
, the Bears had “hoped to model its Fields trade after” what the CroninNew York Jets pulled off in 2021 — receiving a second-, fourth- and sixth-round pick from the did with Sam Darnold Carolina Panthers . But when Chicago held firm on the desired value, teams with needs began to seek other solutions.Atlanta Falcons
The , a popular landing spot for Fields earlier in the offseason, signedKirk Cousins to a long-term deal. The Steelers added Wilson on a veteran-minimum deal at the expense of the Broncos. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers recommitted to Baker Mayfield Las Vegas Raiders. Even the Gardner Minshew signed to a two-year deal. Eventually, the backup quarterback market started to dry up, too. The
Washington Commanders New England Patriots and both noticed the signs. They were looking to draft a top quarterback in the 2024 draft, so they quickly found trade partners for their former starters and were not hesitant about the value. — and were not stingy about the value. Sam Howell and Mac Jones If the Steelers didn't want Fields, the Bears could have been out of luck.
Bears’ Attention Now Shifts to Caleb Williams & Draft
Fields’ future has now been decided, so the Bears' focus at the quarterback position can shift entirely to the 2024 NFL draft — specifically, presumptive No. 1 overall pick and Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Wiliams.
The Bears will understandably send a heavy contingent to observe Williams at USC’s Pro Day on March 20. According to
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer , they plan to host him for a top-30 visit in Chicago to get to know him better as a person. After both the pro day and the visit, they should have a clear picture of whether they believe Williams is their man for the No. 1 overall selection.Williams landing in Chicago is not a certainty. He
did not undergo medical testing at the 2024 NFL Combine, so the Bears may find something they don't like when they conduct their own evaluations; although, that seems unlikely. They also need to ensure he fits their vision at quarterback. Even if Williams meets all the criteria, the Bears are likely to still attend the pro days of the other top quarterbacks in the 2024 draft class. Matt Eberflus was the only head coach present at Bo Nix’s pro day at Oregon on March 12. Here are several other important quarterback pro days where the Bears could send scouts:
Notre Dame’s Sam Hartman (March 21)
- Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy (March 22)
- Florida State’s Jordan Travis (March 22)
- LSU’s Jayden Daniels (March 27)
- Tulane’s Michael Pratt (March 27)
- North Carolina’s Drake Maye (March 28)
- Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles had some parting words for Justin Fields after trading him to the Pittsburgh Steelers for 2024.
