Getty Justin Fields, a potential Patriots trade target
You may have noticed that the New England Patriots could really, really use a change of direction at quarterback. And they probably could use a change of direction overall, as coach and team honcho Bill Belichick has hit his sell-by date, according to reports. To that end, ex-GM Randy Mueller, who now writes a column for The Athletic, has the Patriots pegged as a candidate for a player who would require an overhaul: Bears quarterback Justin Fields.
To be sure, Fields has improved in recent weeks, and the Bears have played better. But the lure of using the No. 1 overall pick on a quarterback (after passing on that opportunity last year) could be too much for Chicago to resist. That means a Fields trade could be in the offing in the offseason. Enter the Patriots.
Now, Mueller is clear that, to succeed with Justin Fields at quarterback, a team will need to build its offense around him. That likely would mean pairing Fields with a coach who has experience working with a player like Fields—Mueller suggests Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson on that front.
The Patriots certainly could be in the market for a new quarterback. And, for that matter, a new coach.
“For someone to buy Fields stock, I think it will take an offensive head coach who is all in with a system similar to Philadelphia’s with Jalen Hurts. The Colts are attempting something similar by drafting Anthony Richardson, the ultimate bet on Indianapolis coach and former Eagles OC Shane Steichen’s ability to mold talent and develop passing skills,” Mueller wrote.
Justin Fields a Low-Risk Financial Option
Mueller lists the Patriots in a group of four teams that should be looking to make a change at quarterback, and perhaps in overall coaching philosophy along with it. Making a trade for Justin Fields, he indicates, must not be a just quarterback deal, but an overhaul of approach in general.
While it would cost the Patriots in draft capital to trade for Fields, they would at least get a one-year audition before having to commit to Fields financially. He is heading into the final year of his $19 million rookie deal and will be a free agent after that.
Wrote Mueller: “Here are four teams that should be QB hunting, if new offensive philosophies are in the cards: New England, Las Vegas, New Orleans and Seattle.”
The Patriots are only on that list if Belichick is no longer the coach and Bill O’Brien is no longer the offensive coordinator.
Few players have demonstrated the ability to be a running threat from the quarterback position quite like Justin Fields. He rushed for 1,143 yards in 2022, and led the NFL with 7.1 yards per carry on the season. The Bears, unwisely, tried to make him more of a pocket passer this year, a move that Fields complained about, saying that his play was becoming, “robotic.”
Patriots Could Use a Philosophical Overhaul
Mueller noted that was a mistake. Any team, including the Patriots, taking on Justin Fields must be willing to run a hybrid offense that takes advantage of his running.
“Attempts to use Fields in somebody else’s system have failed in Chicago. He deserves better than that. Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson is highly thought of and will likely get head-coaching interviews this offseason. I could see Fields and Johnson being a good match down the road,” Mueller wrote.
That would mark a significant change in philosophy for the Patriots, who have had a stand-in-the-pocket quarterback for … well, forever, with the exception of the one Cam Newton year in 2020.
But this team is in need of a change in philosophy. Mac Jones is broken. Bailey Zappe is a good backup but not a high-quality starter. The Patriots are not a young team poised to be rebuilt around a starter in his early 20s. Justin Fields turns 25 in March.
He is not a newbie right of college, which is the likely path the Patriots will take. But he is a young veteran with potential that still needs to be unlocked. It might be fun to see the Patriots be the team that does it.