After three up-and-down seasons with the Chicago Bears, quarterback Justin Fields may be on his way out.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are in desperate need of a consistent, high-end quarterback to lead the offense after Kenny Pickett, the team’s 20th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, has failed to impress.
Is this a match made in draft heaven between the Bears and the Steelers?
The Justin Fields Trade Between the Chicago Bears and the Pittsburgh Steelers
The answer, according to Parker Abate of Steelernation.com, is “yes, of course.”
“It’s fair to say that the Chicago Bears stink,” said Abate recently. “They won five games in 2023, but now have the Carolina Panthers’ first-round pick as a result of a trade between the two teams that allowed Carolina to select Bryce Young first overall in the 2023 NFL Draft…
It’s difficult to imagine the Bears passing up on a prospect like Williams, which begs the question, what happens to Justin Fields? The third-year Ohio State player hasn’t gotten a fair shake in Chicago. It would be prudent for the Bears to trade him in 2024 while he is still valuable…
Pittsburgh enters Week 16 with a hampered Pickett, a dormant Mitch Trubisky, and a dreadfully average Mason Rudolph. To be successful at the professional level, franchises require a dude at quarterback, which the Steelers do not have at this time. Losing out and finishing 7-10 could result in a top 10 pick, but that wouldn’t be enough for one of the top two prospects without a trade up. Trading a second-round pick for Fields has to be considered.”
Abate isn’t the only Steelers fan who thinks trading Fields is a no-brainer.
Trading Fields Makes Financial Sense
Former Chicago Bears tight end Greg Olsen believes that trading Fields is simply good business for the Bears.
“No knock on Fields at all,” Olsen recently tweeted. “Assume the top QB in [the] draft and Fields are identical now and in the future.” The tiebreaker is resetting the clock before having to pay the QB $50 million. Once QB is paid, he must be able to plug the holes. Most people cannot. The elite are capable.”
So, Olsen’s assumption is that if favored top QB draft pick Caleb Williams can do at least as well as Fields at QB, the money saved by going with the rookie will be the deciding factor. For the record, he isn’t the only one who believes the Bears should trade Fields.
Bears Players Back Fields Fields’ current teammates do not appear to agree with Olsen’s “common sense” assessment.
“Justin is the quarterback of the future,” wide receiver Darnell Mooney said after the Browns’ 20-17 loss on Sunday. “He’s the quarterback for the franchise.” He’s been having a good time. I’m not sure why there are so many questions. We obviously have the [projected No. 1 pick] right now because of Carolina, but Justin is a dog. If he’s not here, he’ll be balling somewhere else. I’m not the one making those decisions, but Justin is. He’s going to ball wherever he is, if it’s not here.”
Wide receiver DJ Moore, who has developed an off-field rapport with Fields that has translated into excellent field chemistry, has stated numerous times that the team must stay the course at quarterback.
“I don’t know,” Moore said when asked why Fields’ future in Chicago was in doubt. “You guys asked me that last week. ‘Bruh, where are ya’ll seeing this?’ I’m still thinking. “What makes him not the Chicago Bears’ franchise quarterback right now?”I understand you’ve got everyone coming out. Isn’t there like two of them? [Caleb Williams and Drake Maye] aren’t better than Justin, in my opinion.”
Fields has been questioned by media outlets outside of Chicago about why his future with the team is in doubt. The 24-year-old insists that he is still only concerned with the task at hand.
“A lot of things are being questioned. “That’s not my problem,” Fields told members of the Cleveland media. “I just come to work and do my job the best I can.” That’s all there is to it.”
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