Getty Bears quarterback Justin Fields.
Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields is aware of the constant discussion about his future and whether the team that drafted him will look to trade him somewhere else during the 2024 offseason. For his role in it, though, Fields is just hoping — like most fans — that the team makes a firm decision soon.
Fields appeared on February 21’s episode of The St. Brown Brothers podcast and set the record straight on the trade rumors that emerged from his recent social media activity, specifically him unfollowing the Bears — and the NFL — on Instagram this offseason.
“Why do people take social media so serious?” Fields said. “I still mess with the Bears, this and that. I’m just trying to take a little break. I unfollowed the Bears and the NFL. I’m not just trying to have football on my timeline.
“It’s something that I don’t want to see on my timeline. I’m about to go on vacation. I don’t want to see no football. And guess what? Every Bears post, it’s either keep Fields, we want Fields. It’s either draft Caleb [Williams]. I’m tired of hearing the talk.”
It would be near-impossible for Fields to avoid the offseason chatter about him. His future and what the Bears will do at the quarterback position is one of the biggest storylines of the 2024 offseason. And until the Bears either trade Fields or the No. 1 overall pick, the talk and division among fans is likely not going to stop.
Given the choice, Fields made it clear: He wants to remain with the Chicago Bears.
“Of course I want to stay,” Fields said. “I can’t see myself playing in another place. But if it was up to me, I would want to stay in Chicago. I love the city. The city’s lit. The fans there are great and the people. It’s a business. I ain’t got no control over it, whatever happens, happens. I think the biggest thing with all this going on right now, I just want it to be over. Like, just let me know if I’m getting traded, let me know if I’m staying.”
Will Bears Have Clarity at QB Before Free Agency?
Only general manager Ryan Poles and key members of his front office know exactly when a decision could be coming about their present quarterback dilemma. Still, it stands to reason Fields won’t have too wait too much longer for clarity on his future.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the Bears are expecting to “finalize” their plans at the quarterback position before arriving at the 2024 NFL Combine next week. The combine would then offer Poles a weeklong opportunity to mingle with other GMs and get a sense of what his trade options are regardless of which direction he chooses.
Perhaps a trade for either Fields or the No. 1 pick will materialize while the Bears are still at the combine. Trades can come together quickly, especially when it involves a team trying to secure its future at the most important position.
It is far more realistic, though, that the Bears use the combine to get their ducks in a row and then work on getting a deal done in the window of days between the end of the showcase on March 4 and the start of the 2024 league year on March 13. That’s how Poles handled his business in 2023 when he traded the No. 1 pick to Carolina, citing his desire to gain clarity before the start of NFL free agency.
Then again, the Bears do not have to move Fields in a hurry. If they intend to draft at quarterback at No. 1 but are not happy with their immediate trade prospects, they could wait as long as Day 2 of the NFL draft to pull the trigger on a deal. Some of their trade suitors might fill their quarterback needs in the meantime, but they only need one.
Justin Fields Says Falcons Have ‘A Lot of Playmakers’
Fields did not spend much time discussing the alternatives if his future is not with the Bears. He said that Pittsburgh’s Acrisure Stadium is one of his favorite NFL venues in which he played, but he did not talk at all about the possibility of becoming a Steeler.
When it came to the Atlanta Falcons, though, Fields — a Georgia native — had no problem talking a little bit about what he likes about the makeup of their team.
“Atlanta would be tough,” Fields said about the possibility of playing for the Falcons. “I think they got a lot of playmakers on the team. Bijan [Robinson], my boy Kyle [Pitts], and of course Drake [London]. They probably need one more receiver, but they got some guys.”
The Falcons (-130) are the betting favorites to land Fields for the 2024 season, sitting ahead of the Bears (+300) and Steelers (+350) in the latest odds from DraftKings SportsBook. He is a popular choice among the Atlanta fanbase, too, given his roots in the state and their need for a quarterback without holding a top-5 draft pick.
Whether the Bears move Fields to the Falcons — or at all — remains to be seen, though.