Getty Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus (left) and general manager Ryan Poles (right) talk on the sideline ahead of an NFL game in 2023.
The Chicago Bears can go in several directions with the top selection in the 2024 NFL draft, though most around the league believe they have already settled on one particular path forward.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN has reported that most of the front office personnel he spoke to during the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, over the weekend expect Chicago to hold onto the pick and draft quarterback Caleb Williams of USC.
“Most people I talked to in Mobile expect the Chicago Bears to make the pick at No. 1, presumably for Williams,” Fowler wrote on Saturday, February 3.
Bears Can’t Pass on Another Potentially Elite QB in NFL Draft for Second Consecutive Season
GettyChicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles.
General manager Ryan Poles passed on the opportunity to select CJ Stroud, now of the Houston Texans, at the top of last year’s draft in favor of keeping Justin Fields for a third season. That move made the most sense at the time, as Fields was rounding the corner into what many thought could be his leap year, and the QB caught considerable MVP buzz ahead of the campaign.
Now, after a relatively disappointing season when compared with the lofty expectations of just one year ago, the time feels right for Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus to tether their NFL fortunes to whichever QB ends up the first pick in one of the most talented classes in recent memory.
Fields started off the season struggling mightily, then turned it around with back-to-back performances of 4 TD passes against the Denver Broncos and Washington Commanders. However, he dislocated his thumb during his next outing against the Minnesota Vikings — an injury that cost the QB the next four starts.
Chicago turned around its season upon Fields’ return, going 4-3 down the stretch and surrendering fourth-quarter leads against two playoff teams (Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns) along the way. Still, the third-year starter finished the year with a 61.4% completion percentage for 2,562 yards and 16 TDs compared to 9 INTs.
The Bears fired offensive coordinator Luke Getsy as a result. In just three NFL seasons, Fields has already had two different GMs, two head coaches and two offensive coordinators. The number of OCs will jump to three (Shane Waldron) in Fields’ fourth season in Chicago should he remain there, and it now feels as though the time has come for a fresh start on both sides.
Bears QB Justin Fields Retains Significant Trade Value Ahead of NFL Draft
GettyChicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields.
Fields has already proven himself a quality starter despite rough circumstances in Chicago throughout his entire career, and his arm/leg talent suggests that a higher ceiling remains attainable.
He will be only 25 years old next season and still has two cost-controlled years remaining on his contract, which renders Fields a valuable trade chip. Bill Barnwell of ESPN contended both in October and February that the quarterback is likely to fetch second-round value — either in the form of a pick or a player.
“The Bears would probably be looking at pick No. 44 as their ideal return for Fields,” Barnwell wrote about a potential trade with the Las Vegas Raiders. “If Poles really wanted another receiver, would he ask the Raiders about Davante Adams to give his new quarterback a one-two punch with Adams and [DJ] Moore?”
Adams might be a stretch considering his relationship with new Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce, as well as the six consecutive Pro Bowls and three straight All-Pro teams he made before both streaks broke in 2023 (when Adams still put up more than 100 catches and 1,100 receiving yards).
Vegas also gave the Green Bay Packers a first-round and a second-round pick for Adams two offseaosns past. However, the wideout will play most of next season at 31 years old and still has three years remaining on a $140 million contract. That kind of money during a rebuild for the Raiders may not make sense, but it could in Chicago where the cap room for 2024 currently stands north of $49 million.
Even with a rookie QB in 2024, the Bears intend to contend immediately and will be shopping for a big-play receiver this offseason. Adams fits the bill, and the deal could make sense on both sides.