Getty Justin Fields of the Chicago Bears.
Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields has been playing noticeably better football during the second half of the season, and former Bears offensive lineman Kyle Long thinks the team needs to, at the very least, gauge the third-year QB’s trade value.
After Chicago beat the Atlanta Falcons 37-17 Week 17, Long was asked on X (formerly Twitter) by a fan whether the Bears should stick with Fields or draft a QB.
“If I’m the bears brass I have to at least see what the offer sheet looks like from some of these teams that are obviously going 2b suitors for JF. If the offer is good, send it,” Long wrote.
The former Bears OL also noted he believes Fields would “thrive elsewhere” while the Bears would “have even more to show for it” if a trade went down.
If Bears general manager Ryan Poles doesn’t like any of the offers he receives for Fields? Keep the young QB. Whether the Bears trade Fields or roll with him, Long thinks the Bears may be in a “win-win” situation here.
Kyle Long: Bears Must Do Their ‘Due Diligence’ on Justin Fields Trade
Long played with the Bears from 2013-2019. He regularly comments on ways he believes his former team can improve on both social media and on Green Light With Chris Long, a podcast he does with his brother Chris, a former star with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Bears have won four of their last five games and Fields has been a big reason why. In the win over Atlanta, Fields went 20-32 for 268 yards and two total touchdowns (99.5 passer rating).
The Bears QB has shown tangible improvements as the season has gone on. Over his last five games, Fields has thrown for 1,044 yards, four TDs and three interceptions (two of which were on Hail Marys). He has also taken better care of the ball, not losing a fumble in his last four games.
For this reason, Long believes Poles and company must gauge interest in Fields. If a team would be willing to overpay for him, the Bears could get a haul.
“If you don’t at the very least find out what teams are offering then you’re not doing your due diligence,” Long added in a subsequent post.
Bears Have Huge QB Decision Looming
Chicago also secured the No. 1 overall pick from the Carolina Panthers Week 17, so the team has a major decision to make.
Do the Bears keep Fields and continue to surround him with talent on offense? Or do they take a risk and select a quarterback (very likely either Caleb Williams or Drake Maye) with the No. 1 pick?
“I was told that Fields has absolutely made Chicago’s decision in the draft difficult by his playmaking and how he has done this year,” NFL insider Jeremy Fowler said on the December 30 episode of ESPN’s “SportsCenter,” (h/t Bleacher Report).
There is still one game to be played, however, and it’s a biggie: The Bears travel to Lambeau Field to take on the rival Green Bay Packers in the season finale. A victory for Chicago would keep Green Bay out of the playoffs. If Fields balls out and leads the team to its first win over the Packers since 2018, the decision about his future could get easier.