Getty Bears quarterback Justin Fields.
The Chicago Bears have a decision to make about quarterback Justin Fields’ future in the months leading up to the 2024 NFL draft, and at least one analyst believes they will have to settle for a lower-end return if they deal him away.
In his January 2 article, Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay predicted several hypothetical trades he believes “make sense” to take place during the 2024 offseason and landed on one involving Fields that many Bears fans will likely find underwhelming. His pitch is Chicago sends Fields to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for a 2024 third-round pick.
“Fields would benefit from having a new regime in place [that] could tailor the offense and the roster to his strengths,” Kay wrote on January 2. “It would be a perfect place for him to get a fresh start and find success, allowing the Raiders to get a potential franchise quarterback at a cheap cost — ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Courtney Cronin reported that Fields’ trade cost would be a second- or third-round pick.”
Could Bears Get a 2nd-Rounder for Justin Fields?
Let’s pretend for a moment that the Bears are planning to trade Justin Fields. To be clear, the team has not decided on the future of their 2021 first-round pick, but it is one of two likely scenarios for them moving into 2024, so it is a situation worth analyzing.
The Bears might have to settle for a third-round pick if they decide to trade Fields, but there is no shortage of teams looking for a new franchise quarterback in 2024, beyond just the Raiders. The Atlanta Falcons are a popular one as Fields’ hometown team and one with an offense that appears suited to his skill set, but the other options could be the Washington Commanders, New England Patriots or Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
If the Buccaneers don’t recommit to Baker Mayfield for 2024 and go on the hunt for a younger arm, they could be an ideal option in terms of maximizing the return. They are 20th in the draft order, putting them at No. 51 in the second round. That is less of a second-round price than the Commanders (34th) or Patriots (35th) would have to pay.
The Bears could also try adding one of their own picks to the exchange to get a better overall selection for Fields. They have two fourth-round picks in 2024, including the one they received from Philadelphia for moving down from No. 9 to No. 10 in the first round of last year’s draft. They also own two 2025 second-rounders, giving them a potential sweetener if they want to attempt to get a first-rounder back for Fields.
Bears May Prefer to Trade No. 1 Overall Pick Instead
Fields has certainly made things difficult for the Bears when it comes to weighing their quarterback future. He did not get off to the best start to the season and missed some games with an injury, but he has been playing at a higher level down the stretch of the season and, at times, has looked like someone a franchise can trust as its centerpiece.
The Bears, however, might not need Fields to prove as much as some people think. Poles’ front office could decide to trade Fields and reset the quarterback clock with a talent of their choosing, but they also stand to gain an enormous return if they repeat last year’s process and trade down from the No. 1 overall spot in the 2024 draft.
According to ESPN, expectations from league evaluations are that the Bears will get a better return for 2024’s No. 1 pick than they did from Carolina 2023’s No. 1 pick. It makes sense given the prestige around Caleb Williams and Drake Maye, but it is wild to think about the Bears getting back something better than a 2024 first (No. 1), a 2023 second (No. 61, used to move up for Tyrique Stevenson), a 2025 second and DJ Moore.
Fields will have at least one more opportunity to convince Chicago’s front office that he should remain their franchise quarterback in 2024 and beyond. The Bears (7-9) will have an opportunity to deny the Green Bay Packers (8-8) their playoff bid when they face them at Lambeau Field in their regular-season finale on Sunday, January 7.