Getty Bears quarterback Justin Fields.
The Chicago Bears made a decision many expected they would shortly after the start of the 2024 league year, trading quarterback Justin Fields and clearing the runway for a No. 1 overall rookie to replace him as their franchise starter.
Predictable as it may have been, though, the decision to move on from Fields did not come easily for Bears general manager Ryan Poles — or his son, Mason.
“Probably one of the harder things I had to do,” Poles told reporters on March 25 at the NFL’s annual owners meeting, via The Chicago Sun-Times’ Patrick Finley. “I was kind of touching on the empathy part. Having that conversation with my own son was hard. [Fields’] jersey is up in his room, so it puts that into perspective of how difficult those moves are, but [I] really felt like that was best for our organization and for Justin.
“I said that at the combine. I wanted to do right by him. We did that.”
Poles shared a few details about his decision to trade Fields, more so in how he went about doing things. After locking in the trade with Pittsburgh, he said he drove over to head coach Matt Eberflus’ house so that the two of them could call Fields together and inform him of the news. They also communicated with several of Fields’ closest teammates on the Bears, a gesture he believes the players appreciated.
Poles did not specify which players they called, but wide receiver DJ Moore and tight end Cole Kmet each previously confirmed they received a call about the team trading Fields. Both players also seemed grateful that the organization looped them in.
“Again, one of the harder things we had to do, but I thought it was necessary for us heading in the right direction,” Poles said.
Bears ‘A Little Surprised’ About Justin Fields’ Trade Market
Coming out of Super Bowl Weekend in February, most experts weighing in on Fields seemed to think the Bears would have a solid trade market for him in the offseason. ESPN’s Courtney Cronin and Jeremy Fowler informally polled league evaluators and found the consensus to be that Fields was worth “a second- or third-round pick.”
ESPN’s Adam Schefter took it a step further and suggested Chicago might even be able to get a first-round selection in exchange for their dynamic starting quarterback.
Then, NFL free agency began and the quarterback openings around the league started filling up. Kirk Cousins, Baker Mayfield, Gardner Minshew, Sam Darnold and Russell Wilson signed to fill veteran starter roles, while other young trade targets — such as Sam Howell, Mac Jones and Desmond Ridder — were moved fast for average returns.
Ultimately, the Bears dealt Fields to the Steelers for a 2025 conditional sixth-round pick that becomes a fourth-rounder if he plays 51% of snaps for Pittsburgh in 2024. So, did the weak trade market for Fields catch Poles by surprise during the 2024 offseason?
“I was a little bit surprised,” Poles said, via Cronin. “But as you do research and we have conversations, you have to kind of adjust to the market. … If you look at the beginning, there are probably teams that are looking at the draft for guys to fill in. On the back end, playoff teams probably have someone in the place, so really it was a smaller pool of teams.”
Ryan Poles Remains Impressed With Caleb Williams
With Fields in the rearview mirror, the Bears have now turned all of their attention at the quarterback position to their No. 1 pick, with which they will have their choice of top rookies in the 2024 NFL draft next month. Right now, the league consensus is the Bears will use the top pick on USC’s Caleb Williams after showing extensive interest.
Poles did nothing to dispel that notion, either, speaking about Williams in Orlando.
“Really mature,” Poles said of the team’s visit with Williams in Los Angeles last week, via Cronin. “One of my guys kind of bumped me on it, which I think is rare these days for a 22-year-old, he never touched his phone. Really intentional with his conversations and talking about his interests and things that he likes to do. Really good touchpoint.”
The next — and possibly final — step in the Bears’ evaluation process with Williams is his official top-30 visit to Halas Hall, where the team will conduct its medical testing to ensure there are no unexpected red flags. While Williams did not know during his pro day when that would take place, Poles confirmed it would be the first week of April.
Once Williams’ visit concludes, all that will be left for Bears fans to do is watch and wait for the first night of the draft to arrive on April 25.