Patriots Among Favorites to Trade for Projected $283 Million Star QB

Getty One site has a Patriots Justin Fields trade as a distinct possibility.

The New England Patriots have themselves a coach, moving quickly to name Jerod Mayo the successor to Bill Belichick last week after the team and its legendary boss agreed to part ways. But what the Patriots don’t have—among other things, of course—is a quarterback, as it is all but certain that the team will move on from former first-round pick Mac Jones. And if you’re the gambling type, there is a strong chance that the Patriots trade for an eye-opening new guy behind center: Bears star Justin Fields.

That’s according the IllinoisBet.com website, which put out odds for Fields’ next team. The Patriots are tied with the Raiders at No. 2 on the list, behind only the Falcons.

As the site noted this week: “Overall, the Falcons come in at +475 to land Justin Fields via a trade, beating out the New England Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders (at +900 apiece). The Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers follow, tied at +1200.  There’s also a 40% (+150) chance that Fields and the Bears ink a long-term extension.”

Some Improvement in Year 3

Fields is an interesting case study around the NFL, a quarterback with exceptional running ability who has struggled when he needs to be a pure drop-back passer. He did improve this season, especially late in the year after he came back from a thumb injury that cost him four games in October and November. He ran for 1,157 yards last season, on 10.7 carries per game, and though he curbed his rushing somewhat this season at the insistence of coaches, he still had 9.5 carries per game for 657 total yards.

But he got better as a passer, averaging 197.1 yards per game, the best total of his three-year career. He completed 61.4% of his passes and threw nine interceptions for a 2.4% interception rate. Those were all career bests.

After going 1-5 to start the year with Fields under center, the Bears went 4-3 in their final seven games with him. That relatively strong finish threw into question the team’s plans at quarterback. They own the No. 1 choice in the upcoming draft, from the Panthers, and could use it to pick top prospects like Drake Maye or Caleb Williams. Or, encouraged by the final seven games with Fields, the Bears could keep him and trade the pick to collect more talent.

Fields is under contract for one more year, and will be due a megadeal after that. Spotrac projects him with a market value of $47.1 million per year, and sees him getting a $283 million contract over six years after next season.

Patriots Justin Fields Trade Could Cost No. 3 Pick

If there is to be a Fields trade, the Patriots would have to be interested. They have the No. 3 pick in the draft and could certainly put together a worthwhile package for the Bears built around that. Beyond that, they would have to be willing to bring in an offensive coordinator who could take advantage of Fields’ strengths instead of forcing him into a traditional quarterback box.

There was some question about whether Belichick would be willing to do that. Mayo, it can be presumed, would be more amenable to adding a strong offensive voice to build an offense around Fields.

Former GM Randy Mueller, who now writes for The Athletic, tabbed the Patriots as a potential destination for Fields last month. He noted that Fields could succeed in the NFL if treated like Jalen Hurts with the Eagles, who is allowed to use his running ability to boost his passing.

Mueller wrote, “Attempts to use Justin Fields in somebody else’s system have failed in Chicago. He deserves better than that. Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson is highly thought of and will likely get head-coaching interviews this offseason. I could see Fields and Johnson being a good match down the road.”