The Chicago Bears may be forced to trade quarterback Justin Fields next offseason, and one of the NFL’s top teams has emerged as a possible landing spot.
The Las Vegas Raiders released Derek Carr, then signed Jimmy Garappolo to a large contract before benching him, switched head coaches, and are now starting rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell. Davante Adams has already asked to leave town, and the New York Jets have been open about their desire to trade for the wide receiver and reunite him with Aaron Rodgers during the offseason.
The Raiders need real answers under center, and they need them quickly, which makes them an ideal trade partner for the Bears. On November 24, Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal wrote that the Raiders are “undoubtedly” interested in Fields if Chicago makes him available.
“This is undoubtedly a possibility, although Aidan O’Connell will have a say in how this plays out with his performance over the next six games,” Bonsignore said in a statement. “The Raiders have a history with Fields. Interim general manager Champ Kelly was in the Bears front office when the former Ohio State standout was drafted.”
Fields’ continued limitations in Year 3 are legitimate concerns, but his upside is undeniable.
Earlier this year, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell claimed that Fields’ trade value had dropped out of first-round range, but that he could reclaim it with a strong finish to the season following his return from a dislocated thumb.
Fields has completed nearly 72% of his passes and posted ratings of 105.2 and 87.3 in his two games since returning. The Bears defeated the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football after leading the division-leading Detroit Lions late in the fourth quarter the week before.
Despite this, Fields has only scored one touchdown in those two games, while also fumbling three times and turning the ball over twice. The Bears’ inability to close out the win over Detroit, as well as their loss to Minnesota 12-10, earning a win without a touchdown for the first time in 30 years, have put widespread national pressure on the front office to move on from Fields if a top QB prospect becomes available.
According to Tankathon, Chicago currently owns the No. 4 overall pick as well as the top overall pick via the Carolina Panthers.
“If the Bears make Fields available, it will be because they are positioned to draft one of their preferred quarterback targets,” Bonsignore said in a statement. “That could lessen their asking price for Fields, but his market will be predicated on how much interest there is for him.”
Fields will be 25 years old next season and will have a salary cap hit of only $6 million. Any team willing to trade for him will also receive the right to exercise a fifth-year option next offseason, keeping Fields on a salary-controlled contract until 2025.
The quarterback position is well-represented in the 2024 draft class. However, given the number of NFL teams that have legitimate questions at quarterback, several teams are likely to be interested in trading for someone like Fields — a young QB on an affordable contract with a strong arm and the ability to rush from the position as well as anyone in league history.
If the draft started today, the Raiders (5-7) would pick at No. 11 — the same spot where the Bears selected Fields in 2021. If the Raiders’ second-round pick falls too far down the ladder to be worth the Bears’ time, Las Vegas will likely need to separate from that asset if it hopes to trade for Chicago’s quarterback.
If the Raiders want to draft an elite quarterback, they will almost certainly have to give up the No. 11 pick in a trade package to move up the board. Caleb Williams of USC and Drake Maye of North Carolina are the likely Nos. 1 and 2 picks, respectively, and the race for a top signal-caller could continue from there depending on teams’ specific circumstances.
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