Getty TAMPA, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 17: Justin Fields #1 of the Chicago Bears looks on during the second quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on September 17, 2023 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Let’s face it. We can get excited about the new guy, New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo. We can get excited about the cap space the franchise has available this offseason. And we can get excited about the new direction of the franchise after Bill Belichick had bled things dry with some poor decisions over the past two years. But the issue that will determine how quickly this team gets itself turned around in the next year will depend entirely on who is the next Patriots quarterback.
And while it is a longshot, and probably not something many Pats fans have given much thought before the last few weeks, there’s at least a very real chance that New England walks away from the opening night of the draft in April with some sort of asset that comes via the Bears, owners of the No. 1 pick and the current employers of star quarterback Justin Fields.
At NBC Sports Chicago, that’s how analyst Glynn Morgan sees things playing out, with the Patriots trading down from No. 3 to as part of a blockbuster swap that sends Fields to the Patriots, with the No. 9 pick coming back as well.
Plenty of Patriots Quarterback Options
It’s going to be a more common theme over the coming couple of months, with the Patriots having, basically, four options at quarterback.
First, they could make a deal with the Bears, either giving up a ton of capital to get the No. 1 pick and draft, presumably, Caleb Williams. Given what the Bears were able to pilfer from the Panthers for the No. 1 pick last year, such a deal would cost New England this year’s No. 3 pick as well as next year’s first-round pick, plus more draft assets that would make this option unpalatable.
Second, they could make a trade with the Bears for Fields. That would be much less costly in terms of assets—the Patriots, in Morgan’s mock trade, would get Fields, the No. 9 pick and a 2025 sixth-rounder for the No. 3 pick, the Patriots’ fourth-rounder and third- and fifth-round picks in 2025.
Third, the Patriots could scrap the whole idea of a draft-day trade and simply take whichever quarterback falls to them among the group of Williams, Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels. This is the most likely scenario.
Fourth, the Patriots could try to make a free-agent splash on the quarterback market, pursuing a player like Kirk Cousins, Baker Mayfield or, when he is set free, Russell Wilson. But it’s highly unlikely the Patriots would be able to land a big-time quarterback on the market, not with the mess that their offensive line and wide receiver rooms are in.
Justin Fields Can Run, but Can He Pass?
None of the options are foolproof and the Patriots could opt to engage more than one this winter—they could draft a QB at No. 3, and still sign a veteran in free agency, for example.
But no matter what they do, the Patriots can’t return to the field in 2024 with either Mac Jones or Bailey Zappe under center.
Fields, at least, is an entertaining and potentially very good option as the next Patriots quarterback. He is an exceptional running ability who has struggled when he needs to be a drop-back passer, and he did improve this season. He ran for 1,157 yards last season, on 10.7 carries per game, and curbed his rushing somewhat this season—he still had 9.5 carries per game, and totaled 657 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, which appeared settled on Williams for much of the year. But the quarterback talent at the top of the draft is too much to pass up, and the Bears can be expected to at least shop Fields.
Fields is under contract for one more year, and will be due a megadeal after that. The Patriots; quarterback search is on, and Fields would have to be considered, at least, a possibility.