The Chicago Bears have the answer to the NFL’s second-biggest issue, after who will be the next Super Bowl champion: who will be the top choice in the 2024 draft?
General manager Ryan Poles has roughly three months to decide who that player will be, or whether he wants to hand over that decision to another organization in exchange for a king’s ransom.
However, ESPN’s Adam Schefter stated on the “Pat McAfee Show” on Monday, February 5, that the majority of the league feels Poles has already made his decision – and it does not bode well for starting quarterback Justin Fields.
According to Schefter, the “widespread consensus around the league” is that Caleb Williams will be selected first overall in the draft. As long as Chicago has that selection, the Bears management will draft the USC quarterback.
As a result, most NFL observers expect Fields will enter the trade market in the coming weeks.
“The feeling around the league seems to be that they’ll wind up trading Justin,” he said. “Whether or not they do, we will see. But that appears to be the feeling.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN wrote a similar story from the Senior Bowl on February 3, stating that the prevailing consensus among NFL officials is that the Bears will keep the top pick and draft Williams.
Bears Should Have No Trouble Finding Trade Partner for Justin Fields
If Fields is going to be traded, the next questions are where, and for what?
On February 1, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell attempted to address the issue by selecting five franchises that could be serious about trading for the Chicago quarterback. His list included the Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers, and New England Patriots.
The Patriots have the third overall pick, which they may utilize to take whichever of the top three quarterback prospects remains after Chicago and the Washington Commanders have done their work, most likely Jayden Daniels of LSU.
Daniels, like Fields, is a true dual-threat quarterback with explosive playmaking talents, but he will be two years younger next season and on a contract that the organization can control for up to five years. Fields, on the other hand, has only two cost-controlled seasons left before what is expected to be a massive payday.
As such, the Patriots are probably the least likely contenders for Fields’ services of the teams Barnwell mentioned.
The Falcons have the 43rd overall pick, while the Raiders are immediately behind them at 44. According to Tankathon, the Steelers control the No. 51 pick in the second round. All three of those teams require quarterbacks, making them logical trade partners for Chicago if Poles believes Fields is worth a second-round selection.
However, the Bears might push for a late first-round pick, which doesn’t seem out of reach in the proper situation — especially if they’re prepared to throw in their own pick. Fields and their third-round pick (No. 75 overall) or fourth-round pick (No. 110 overall) might be traded to a team like the Steelers for the 20th pick in the first round.
Justin Fields Currently Projected to Have 2nd-Round Trade Value
