Getty The trade market for QB Justin Fields may have just gotten smallerr.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been the favorites to trade for current Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields, but a new report suggests that isn’t going to happen.
According to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Steelers are interested in moving forward with Kenny Pickett and would also like to re-sign free agent QB Mason Rudolph, the latter of whom emerged as a potential future starter as the 2023 season drew to a close.
“They will go into the 2024 season with the idea Kenny Pickett, who has compiled a 14-10 record as a starter, will be the No. 1 quarterback,” Dulac reported on February 17.
“In any event, the Steelers are not interested in bringing in a quarterback who wants to be a starter. That would include Justin Fields and Kirk Cousins, and probably even Russell Wilson, who has a connection with the Steelers,” Dulac also noted. “They are committed to giving Pickett a third season to see if he is the guy to do more than just win a playoff game — something they haven’t done in a franchise-record seven years.”
Steelers Won’t Trade 1st-Round Pick for Justin Fields, Analyst Says
Justin Fields to the Steelers is heating up 👀
Before Dulac’s report, NFL insider Adam Schefter said the Steelers were a top team to watch regarding Fields’ potential trade suitors.
“We know Pittsburgh is gonna go out and get some type of quarterback,” Schefter said on the Pat McAfee Show on February 12. “Whether that’s Ryan Tannehill, whether that’s Russell Wilson, whether that’s Justin Fields. Mike Tomlin’s a big fan of Justin Fields. We’ll keep that in mind during the offseason and the coming weeks.”
If the Steelers are interested in trading for Fields, it doesn’t seem likely the Bears will be able to net a first-round pick in the exchange.
On Audacy’s “1st & Pod,” Andrew Fillipponi of 93.7 The Fan noted that while Tomlin is a big fan of Fields, the Steelers aren’t going to trade their first-round pick (which is No. 20 overall this year) for the young QB. “They had him (Fields) ranked as the best quarterback in that draft, ahead of Trevor Lawrence, Trey Lance, Zach Wilson, etc,” Fillipponi said, adding:
“There is a better chance that the Bears keep Fields and trade the number one pick than there is the Steelers will give up the 20th pick for Fields.”
Is the Most Likely Trade Partner for the Bears?
Here are @DraftKings current odds for Justin Fields’ team in 2024:
Chicago Bears +125
Atlanta Falcons +175
Las Vegas Raiders +550
Washington Commanders +800
Pittsburgh Steelers +800
Seattle Seahawks +900
Denver Broncos +1600
New England Patriots +1600
NFL Network insiders Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo named the Atlanta Falcons as a team to watch in a potential trade for Fields. The Falcons have been mentioned as a landing spot for Fields since before the season ended, as the fourth-year QB is a Kennesaw, Georgia native with ties to one key Falcons’ exec.
Former Bears general manager Ryan Pace, who drafted Fields, is currently Atlanta’s director of player personnel. Fields didn’t have a huge season in 2023, but he showed enough promise for a team in need of a quarterback to look his way.
In 13 games last season, he threw for 2,562 yards, 16 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. He also rushed 120 times for 657 yards and four TDs.
If Dulac is correct and the Steelers are looking to move forward by re-signing Rudolph, that would make the Falcons the favorites again. A reunion between Fields and his former offensive coordinator Luke Getsy in Las Vegas with the Raiders seems highly unlikely, as the two never quite gelled together over their two seasons working together in Chicago.
Thus, Atlanta remains the top — and potentially only — team that may be willing to give up draft capital in exchange for Fields.