I keep coming back to the words Chicago Bears General Manager Ryan Poles used when discussing how he plan⭕ned on handling the Justin Fields situation when asked about it in February at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
These are Poles’ words. This isn’t me paraphrasing. Or parsing language. These are the words the Chicago Bears GM used after being asked when he would like to know the team’s path at quarterback:
“I would love to know as soon as possible. I would love to know but I know that’s not how the process works. Sure, before free agency would be good. Like I said, I’m also taking, if we were to do something with Justin, I want to do right by him and I know, again, living in that grey space, we would want to do something sooner rather than later. But just like I talk about with contracts, it takes two teams to figure that out, but at the same time, we’re also trying to figure out the draft process as well. There’s a lot of different things with different timelines going and that’s what makes it a little difficult.”
Fourteen days later, Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears quarterbacking situation remains in the gre💦y.
So, not only did Poles not get what he wanted in the form of clarity about the team’s quarterback situation ahead of free agency, but he also saw potential trade partners fill their quarterback needs elsewhere. Baker Mayfield stayed with the Buccaneers. Russell Wilson took his talents to the Steel City. Kirk Cousins before leaving the Vikings for the Falcons. The Patriots are having a return engagement with Jacoby Brissett (possibly as a placeholder until they draft whoever happens to be QB3 in April). The Las Vegas Raiders before deciding they’d rather have a QB competition between incumbent Aidan O’Connell and free agent Gardner Minshew. Sam Darnold is Minnesota-bound.
What’s next for the Bears on this front? Let’s discuss…
Is Justin Fields even on the trade block?
I saw w🅠ords from NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport floating around yesterday sans context. Thankfully, someone happened to be rolling footage at the time of this particular TV hit:
“What does this mean for Justin Fields. First of all, the Chicago Bears seem to be open to trading Fields. They have really not yet engaged, really not yet started that process. They want to make sure Caleb Williams is their guy at No. 1. When you look around the league, it does seem to me some spots have been taken up. Falcons have been taken up. Raiders have been taken up. The Vikings still need one. The Broncos still need one. Could he come in and be a bridge guy for a rookie? Certainly possible as well. It remains to be seen where Justin Fields lands.”
Ian Rapoport, one of the NFL’s most prominent reporters, saying “it remains to be seen where Justin Fields lands” truly drives home how in the grey Fields is as of right now. Beyond that, I’m not sure how to feel about this report because there are a bunch of random takeaways.
For instance, if we’re taking it at face value, and the Bears haven’t shopped Justin Fields, then that feels like organizational malpractice. In an offseason that has seen as much quarterback movement as it has, doing your due diligence on what you could get for Fields feels like the bare minimum a front office should be doing. Just as the Bears should listen to offers for the No. 1 pick. You don’t have to make a decision on the spot. But it feels like it would be a misstep to not entertain offers — if only to see how ridiculously high you can make the bidding.
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To this point, Bears GM Ryan Poles comes off as someone who goes through a thorough process before making a move. So I struggle to grasp the idea that he hasn’t entertained the idea of seeing what the quarterback market has to offer.
The other most notable nugget from Rap Sheet comes with him saying the Bears still need to make sure Caleb Williams is their guy. Williams did measurements and interviews last month at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. But there wasn’t a physical exam done. Maybe the Bears are waiting until the medical boxes are checked off before fully committing to taking Williams. That would make sense in my world because going all-in on a QB prospect without checking all of the boxes. I guess we’ll have to keep our eyes open for Caleb Williams’ USC Pro Day on March 20.
What About the Colts or Eagles as trade fits for the Bears and Justin Fields?
The Justin Fields trade market isn’t looking so hot right now. But perhaps it’ll develop in a different way. An Indianapolis Colts beat writer offers up a suggestion that I hadn’t considered:
Here is a snippet from the post (and a brief reminder that it is 🧔cool to support local journalism):
The Colts were fans of Fields when he came out of Ohio State, back when the Bears traded up to make him the No. 11 pick in the 2021 draft. In three years, he’s displayed some explosive rushing abilities with 2,220 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on 6.2 yards per carry. His passing has left more to be desired, as he has averaged 7.0 yards per attempt, though it’s come with constant change around him.
Fields’ skill set would be a strong match to Richardson’s, as the Colts could suddenly have one of the most athletic quarterback rooms the NFL has ever seen. It will cost draft picks of some sort, and though the market has softened with no apparent starting opportunities for Fields, Colts general manager Chris Ballard will have to decide whether a backup quarterback is worth key draft capital.
I find it noteworthy that the story mentions that the Colts were Fields fans when he came out in the 2021 NFL Draft. Plus, I have an appreciation for striking the balance in adequately describing JF1’s passing as leaving more to be desired while also underscoring that he was not put in a good position to develop. Maybe a better situation for Fields’ future development is in Indy with Shane Steichen, who looks to have the magic touch when it comes to quarterback development. Just take Jalen Hurts for example. Hurts had an MVP-caliber year when Steichen was in Philly as the Eagles’ offensive coordinator. And while Hurts had another solid season in 2023, something was off-key.
Speaking of the Eagles, them (and the Colts) as options where Fields could be a backup. Allbright adds that the Bears have been shopping Fields (which goes contrary to what Rapoport was reporting) and that the market “has been incredibly thin” on the QB. I don’t want to go into a he-said-they-said sort of thing. But there is no denying that the market for a Fields trade looks quite thin.
