Getty Bears quarterback Justin Fields.
The Chicago Bears appear likely to trade quarterback Justin Fields after just three years with the team, drawing reactions from around the NFL.
San Francisco 49ers All-Pro tight end George Kittle is preparing to play in the Super Bowl this weekend but spoke with reporters during Media Day on Monday, February 5. One reporter asked Kittle for his take on Fields, who most of the league expects will be traded. Chicago owns the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft, and may analysts regard USC quarterback Caleb Williams as among the best QB prospects in years.
George Kittle on what the Bears should do with the number 1 pick.
“trade back and get as many picks as they can and give QB1 some actual options.”
Kittle about to have Chicago coming after him. 😂😂 #DaBears #Bears #ChicagoBears
“Wow, this is putting me on the spot. All of Chicago listening to this one,” Kittle said, per X video provided by former NFL tight end Clay Harbor. “I think what the Bears should do is, personally, I think they should trade back and get as many picks as they can and build around a guy that they’ve been trying to build around. Give the guy some actual options, I mean, he has options, but just help him out as much as you possibly can to build him up as big as you can, and trust the kid.”
NFL at Large Predicts Bears Will Trade Justin Fields, Draft Caleb Williams With Top Pick
GettyChicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields
There is little debate that the Bears could land an absolute haul for the top pick if they do decide to trade back.
Chicago picked up two first-rounders, two second-rounders and star wide receiver DJ Moore from the Carolina Panthers for last year’s No. 1 overall selection and could probably get even more this time around. The issue boils down to whether the Bears can justify passing on CJ Stroud, who was a legitimate MVP candidate during his rookie season with the Houston Texans, and then another franchise-type quarterback in Williams in back-to-back drafts.
Most of the rest of the NFL is betting that the answer to that question is a firm “no,” according to separate reports from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on February 3 and Adam Schefter on February 5. If that proves the case, Chicago will almost certainly trade Fields at some point this offseason. The expected return for Fields is a second-round pick, though the number of teams competing for his services could potentially push that value in either direction over the coming weeks.
George Kittle Commenting on Bears’ Situation With Justin Fields Feels Something Like Irony
GettyTight end George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers.
Kittle’s suggestion that the Bears should keep Fields is interesting on several levels. However, it is perhaps most interesting because the 49ers sacrificed three first-round picks to move up nine spots from No. 12 to No. 3 in the first round back in 2021 to select quarterback Trey Lance. Fields was also on the Niners’ radar that year, though he ended up going No. 11 to Chicago.
Lance played in just eight games for San Francisco across two seasons before the team dealt him to the Dallas Cowboys last August for a fourth-round pick. A serious ankle injury early in 2022 did Lance in, but it was Brock Purdy who sealed his predecessor’s fate.
Purdy has been exceptional for the 49ers over the past two years, leading his team to the NFC Championship Game following the 2022 season and now to the Super Bowl this weekend.
Purdy was literally the last player picked in the 2022 draft, and will play on the game’s biggest stage Sunday. If the Bears select Williams at No. 1 in April, they will try to win with Purdy’s mirror opposite (the first overall pick in the draft compared to the last). The attempt to do so will follow a decision to trade away Fields, who could have easily landed in San Francisco three years ago and might be starting the 2024 Super Bowl if he had.