Getty Bears quarterback Justin Fields.
The Chicago Bears are on the verge of trading Justin Fields to one of their NFC competitors.
Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda reported from the NFL Combine that the Atlanta Falcons are nearing agreement with the Bears on a deal for the starting quarterback.
“Word in Indianapolis is the Chicago Bears are close to finalizing a deal which would send former first-round pick Justin Fields to the Atlanta Falcons,” Pauline wrote on Saturday, March 2. “It is not known if the deal will be finalized or even announced before the conclusion of the Combine.”
Pauline added that there may be something of a time clock on negotiations between the teams, as a free-agent to be/NFC South Division rival QB will be on the Falcons’ radar come the official opening of free agency on March 13.
“As I reported on Thursday, if the Falcons can’t come to terms with the Bears for Fields, they will turn their attention to [Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB] Baker Mayfield if he’s available when free agency commences,” Pauline wrote.
Atlanta’s interest in Mayfield also has implications for the Bears separate from Fields. Beyond Mayfield and Fields, the Falcons’ two other most likely paths to securing a new starter under center are either to draft a player at No. 8 overall or via a trade up into the top three, or to sign Minnesota Vikings starter Kirk Cousins in free agency.
Cousins and the Vikings remain engaged in negotiations, but the six-year starter could depart the NFC North if the two sides don’t complete a deal in the next 10 days or so.
Bears’ Trade Market for Justin Fields Strong, Could Narrow After Free Agency Opens in Mid-March
GettyChicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields.
The Bears do not need to rush a deal, especially if they won’t get the Falcons’ second-round pick (No. 43 overall) as the centerpiece of an agreement.
However, general manager Ryan Poles spoke during the first days of the Combine and said he intended to “do right” by Fields, which includes removing him from “the gray” and providing clarity on his NFL future. Sooner on a deal is also likely better for the Bears, as QB dominoes falling in free agency could shrink the market for Fields across the league.
As it stands now, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Las Vegas Raiders remain legitimate potential suitors for Fields’ services. The Cleveland Browns could also emerge as a possible trade destination — per Seth Walder of ESPN Analytics — based on what happens in their quarterback room behind starter Deshaun Watson, who has missed 11 games in each of the previous two regular seasons.
Bears Appear Poised to Draft Caleb Williams With Top Overall Pick
GettyQuarterback Caleb Williams, formerly of USC.
The news that Chicago and Atlanta are getting close on Fields also indicates what most analysts and draft experts have long assumed — that former USC quarterback Caleb Williams will be the No. 1 pick and the next starting quarterback for the Bears.
Williams’ addressed the likelihood that Chicago will select him first overall while speaking with media members at the Combine on Friday.
“I don’t think that I’m not going to be No. 1,” Williams said, per Courtney Cronin of ESPN. “I think I put in all the hard work, all of the time, effort, energy into being that, [and] I don’t think of a Plan B. That’s kind of how I do things in my life. I don’t think of a Plan B, stay on Plan A and then when things don’t work out, find a way to make Plan A work.”
Williams also assured the Bears fan base this week that despite all the “noise” about his desire to play elsewhere — namely his hometown team the Washington Commanders, who select No. 2 overall — that he will be “excited” to land in Chicago and presumably serve as the team’s franchise QB for years to come.