The Chicago Bears still appear very much poised to deal quarterback Justin Fields, but it’s probably going to take longer than initially expected.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported on Monday, March 4 that the front office intends to let the dominoes fall at the top of free agency, then revisit trade scenarios for Fields once players like Kirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings and Baker Mayfield of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed deals wherever they end up.
“For now, though, while Poles has positioned the Bears to trade Fields in the coming days, he’s also open to waiting a bit if it takes time for the QB market, with Kirk Cousins and Baker Mayfield as headliners, to develop,” Breer wrote. “The key is the team has flexibility; Chicago will be realistic in finding the right return for the 11th pick in the 2021 draft. It’s probably not getting a first-rounder, and it hasn’t been working off any assumption that it will be.”
Trade Market for Bears QB Justin Fields Not as ‘Robust’ as Initially Thought
Chicago entered the Combine believing that trade interest in Fields was heavy across the league, with as many as four, or even five, suitors willing to part ways with a second-round pick or more for the quarterback. However, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported Monday that the Bears had misevaluated.
“I don’t think the market for Justin Fields is as robust as the Bears and he had thought,” Schefter said on the Pat McAfee Show.
The Atlanta Falcons, Las Vegas Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings all still read like potential destinations for Fields, though not all of them will remain so once the QB carousel stops a time or two and players sign with their current teams or land with new ones.
For instance, the Falcons are players for Cousins and Mayfield, and could also potentially trade up with either the Washington Commanders at No. 2 or the New England Patriots at No. 3 — assuming either team is willing to move off their pick.
Then there is the Russell Wilson factor, who the Denver Broncos informed he will be released following the start of the new NFL year on March 13. Wilson is more likely to land somewhere as a bridge quarterback to a rookie prospect, such as Drake Maye of UNC or J.J. McCarthy of Michigan.
The bottom line is that the Bears will have a clearer picture of who still needs a quarterback and how many teams can feasibly move up at what will be a high price (multiple first-round picks, at least) to draft a potential franchise rookie QB once a week or two of free agency has passed. At that point, they can reassess the market for Fields and hone in on the best deal possible.
Bears GM Ryan Poles Intends to Provide Clarity on Justin Fields’ Future ASAP
Bears general manager Ryan Poles said at the NFL Combine last week that he wants to “do right” by Fields, which most took to mean trading the quarterback as soon as possible.
“I think you guys know me well enough now,” Poles said. “If we do go down that road, I want to do right by Justin as well. No one wants to live in the gray. I know that’s uncomfortable. I wouldn’t want to be in that situation, either.”
However, what is best for both the team and the quarterback now appears to wait a few weeks longer and reevaluate the market at that point.
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