Getty Quarterback Justin Fields of the Chicago Bears.
The Minnesota Vikings are among the betting favorites to land quarterback Justin Fields, who the Chicago Bears may end up trading ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft.
On January 8, Illinois Bet listed the Vikings as +1200 to land Fields, which tied the franchise with the Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers as the fourth-most likely team to deal for the dual-threat QB.
“The third-year signal-caller out of Ohio State is only 24 [years old] and has a lot of football left before exiting his prime, but the Bears’ playoff chances cratered and there are rumblings about whether Chicago will deal Fields this offseason,” Christopher Boan of Illinois Bet wrote. “While Fields has a year left on his rookie deal, it’s worth wondering if Chicago will part with him this offseason, especially given the club’s No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft via the Carolina Panthers.”
The Bears were favorites to keep Fields at +150, per Illinois Bet, while the Atlanta Falcons were the top new destination for the Bears quarterback at +475. The website listed both the New England Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders at +900 to land Fields.
NFL Execs Project Justin Fields’ Trade Value in Range of 2nd-Round Pick
GettyQuarterback Justin Fields of the Chicago Bears.
The Vikings (7-10) landed the No. 11 pick in the upcoming draft, which is probably too much to sacrifice for Fields. However, the selection probably isn’t enough to land a top-three or top-four signal caller in the 2024 class, which puts Minnesota in an interesting bind.
The team can trade up to get into the game for a player like Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels of LSU at, or around, the No. 3 pick. However, that will likely cost a good number of assets for a team with several potential roster holes — namely on defense at edge-rusher and in the secondary.
As such, a trade for a player like Fields could make considerable sense for Minnesota if it can land him at the right price. ESPN’s Courtney Cronin and Jeremy Fowler reported on January 2 that several NFL executives ballparked Fields’ trade value in the range of a second- or third-round pick.
Those estimates could be low considering they came from rival execs, potentially interested in using ESPN’s platform to try to drive the perception of Fields’ value down ahead of future negotiations. His value could also rise as free agency begins to shake out and the game of QB musical chairs leaves a handful of franchises without a good option at the game’s most important position.
Justin Fields Offers Vikings Future Flexibility at Controlled Price
GettyQuarterback Justin Fields of the Chicago Bears.
That said, the Vikings’ second-round pick (No. 42 overall) should have significant value to the Bears, who dealt their second-rounder (No. 40 overall) to the Washington Commanders at the 2023 trade deadline to acquire defensive end Montez Sweat.
Minnesota may need to toss in an early Day-3 pick to get the deal done, assuming Chicago is in the market to trade Fields, but the 43rd pick is probably a good enough asset to serve as the centerpiece of a deal.
The financial ramifications of a Bears-Vikings trade for Fields also makes sense for both sides considering Fields’ age (24) and where he’s at in the contract cycle.
On Minnesota’s side, the other best option is to pay 36-year-old Kirk Cousins big money on a one- or two-year contract likely in the range of $30 million per year or more. Fields has one more season on his initial four-year, $18.9 million deal. There will also be a team option this offseason to add a fifth year to the QB’s deal at the cost of somewhere north, yet still in the vicinity, of $20 million for the 2025 campaign.
Two cost-controlled years on a dual-threat quarterback with unteachable physical skills involving athleticism and arm strength could be a boon for head coach Kevin O’Connell and his forward-thinking offense, especially considering all the pass-catching talent on the roster. Spotrac projects Fields’ market value at $283.2 million over a new six-year deal ($47.1 million annually).
However, Minnesota wouldn’t be tied into that for at least three seasons, as the team could use the franchise tag to keep Fields in house for 2026 on an expensive one-year deal — assuming the franchise still has questions about him long-term.