Getty Quarterback Justin Fields of the Chicago Bears reacts after a play during a game against the Miami Dolphins at Soldier Field on November 6, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Several teams around the league believe the Chicago Bears are poised to trade quarterback Justin Fields ahead of the NFL Draft.
Initial conversations about the radical strategy began in early January after the regular season concluded and Chicago landed the top overall pick. The possibility of dealing Fields, while always technically real, felt more like an exercise in discussing exaggerated hypotheticals to create thought-provoking television and radio content.
In other words, trading the 23-year-old QB was much more of a “could” than a “would.” Now, however, that “could” has turned into a “will” for at least two active NFL general managers, per Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post.
More than one NFL general manager came away from the Senior Bowl fairly convinced that Justin Fields will be dealt
“More than one NFL general manager came away from the Senior Bowl fairly convinced that Justin Fields will be dealt,” La Canfora tweeted on Wednesday, February 15.
Fields Trade Would Mean Bears Looking at Quarterback With Top Pick
GettyQuarterback Bryce Young of the Alabama Crimson Tide rolls out of the pocket against the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks during a game at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 17, 2022 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
If the competition is correct and Chicago is contemplating a trade of Fields, that means the Bears are looking at quarterback with the top overall pick.
If that is the case, the candidates are only three: Bryce Young of Alabama, C.J. Stroud of Ohio State and Will Levis of Kentucky. All three have caught buzz as the potential No. 1 pick this April, though the pre-combine consensus is that Young is the top of the QB prospects.
It was Young’s potential as a superior passer to Fields that sparked the first widely-circulated take that Chicago should consider trading Fields, which was authored by former NFL GM and current ESPN analyst Mike Tannenbaum.
“I would trade Justin Fields, and I’m taking nothing away from him. I think he can be a good, maybe a top-10 quarterback,” Tannenbaum said January 10 on Get Up. “But, if you can get at least a first- and a third-round pick, which I believe you can because so many teams need a quarterback, I’m gonna draft Bryce Young who I think is going to be a better quarterback than Justin Fields.”
Bears Can Acquire Similar Value by Trading Fields or No. 1 Overall Pick
GettyQuarterback Justin Fields of the Chicago Bears looks on during a game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on October 2, 2022 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Young completed 66% of his passes for 8,200 yards, 79 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions over the past two years (27 total games) with the Crimson Tide. He also rushed for 185 yards and four scores last season.
Fields led the NFL in rushing for the quarterback spot in 2022 and improved considerably as a passer. He was also a prolific producer of passing numbers during the final two years of his collegiate career, meaning the evaluation comes down mostly to the eye test.
The larger advantage is that if Young proves to be close to equally as talented as Fields, or better, then he is the more valuable contract. That is only true because he will play the next four seasons on a rookie deal, while Fields has just two years left on what will presumably be the cheapest contract of his career.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles has been reported to be seeking as much value as possible in the coming draft, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, which he can acquire in two ways. Common logic dictated he would hold onto what is something of a proven commodity in Fields and trade back once or twice from the top spot, picking up draft assets along the way.
However, being a proven commodity and still very young and still playing on his rookie deal, Fields is likely of similar value to the right team. As Tannenbaum noted, the Bears should be able to get a first- and a third-round for Fields, at the least. Teams like the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 7 or the Carolina Panthers at No. 9 are ideal trade partners that would keep Chicago in the top 10 of each the first and third rounds even after drafting a quarterback first overall.
In this scenario, the Bears also free up future money two years down the road, allowing the team even more flexibility to spend long-term this offseason, as they currently lead the NFL in cap space with approximately $94.5 million, per Over The Cap.