Getty QB Justin Fields of the Chicago Bears.
The question of Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields‘ trade value remains pertinent with free agency set to begin in March and the NFL Draft to follow approximately six weeks later.
Trade proposals centered around Fields continue to circulate, as the Bears own the No. 1 overall pick this April and may well use that selection to draft a new signal-caller. In that case, Chicago will spend the next several weeks shopping Fields to interested suitors as the franchise hunts for the best deal.
Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports authored a trade pitch on Friday, January 26, sending Fields to the Las Vegas Raiders along with a sixth-round selection in 2025 in return for a third-round pick this year and a conditional third-rounder in 2025 that could end up a second or even a first-round pick based on Fields’ results in the desert.
“Bears get No. 77 overall (third-round pick), 2025 third-round pick that becomes a second-round pick if Fields plays 75% of the snaps and becomes a first-round pick if the Raiders make the playoffs in 2025,” Trapasso wrote.
Justin Fields Finished Third NFL Season in Strong Fashion
GettyChicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields.
Trapasso’s trade proposal values Fields at more than a first-round pick, but offers protections for the Raiders against injury, regression or stalled progress.
A former first-rounder himself (No. 11 overall in 2021), Fields entered the 2023 campaign — his third as a pro — with legitimate MVP buzz. He didn’t progress as a passer in the way that his most vocal proponents predicted, and erratic play that led to a 1-4 start followed by a thumb injury in Week 6 dropped Fields’ return value around the league.
“There would be plenty of teams interested in taking a shot at developing Fields, given his upside, but I would be surprised if Chicago was in the position to draft [Caleb] Williams and landed a first-round pick for Fields in a trade this offseason — unless he looks like the guy from the [Denver] Broncos and [Washington] Commanders games over the rest of the season,” ESPN’s Bill Barnwell wrote on October 19.
Fields threw 4 touchdowns in each of those games (Weeks 4 and 5) before getting injured against the Minnesota Vikings. He missed the next four contests, returning on November 19 against the Detroit Lions.
Fields was never as prolific offensively after his return, though he did account for 8 total TDs against just 3 INTs over the final seven games of the season, leading the Bears to a 4-3 record over that span.
Bears Don’t Need to Force Trade of Justin Fields, Even if Team Drafts QB
GettyQuarterback Justin Fields of the Chicago Bears.
NFL executives told ESPN’s Courtney Cronin and Jeremy Fowler in January that Fields’ trade value was somewhere in the range of a second- or third-round pick.
However, starting-caliber quarterbacks on cost-controlled contracts are hard to come by. Those with Fields’ physical skill set are even more rare, and the Bears don’t have to trade Fields just because they draft a QB — assuming they do.
A deal with the Raiders, or another team, could come before the draft and after the game of quarterback musical chairs shakes out in free agency. It is also possible it could come after the draft, when the pool of QB-needy teams has narrowed, but those that remain are more desperate having failed to find a viable answer under center.
If Bears general manager Ryan Poles is willing to be patient, Chicago fans shouldn’t acquiesce to the notion that Fields can’t bring back a first-round pick. And worst case scenario, Williams or another highly-talented rookie QB can spend a year learning Chicago’s offense and the NFL game behind Fields on the bench. The Bears can then revisit the trade market ahead of the 2024 regular-season deadline or during the 2025 offseason.