The Justin Fields trade market: Which teams might be interested and what could the Bears get?

A year ago at the NFL Scouting Combine, Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles announced that his team was open for business: the first pick in the 2023 draft was available.

“We need a lot, and this (the first pick) gives us more opportunities to bring in more players,” Poles said then. “It’s a good situation for where our club is.”

The combine then became an intelligence gathering mission for the Poles and the Bears. They needed to do their due diligence on the quarterback class, which included interviews with Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson.

But the Poles also needed to leave Indianapolis with an accurate picture of the trade market for the No. 1 pick — and they got it. A few days after the group ended, the Bears traded the first pick to the Carolina Panthers.

The goals for the Poles at this year’s combine should be similar. The Bears will face top quarterbacks: USC’s Caleb Williams, North Carolina’s Drake Maye, LSU’s Jayden Daniels, Michigan’s JJ McCarthy and potentially others.

And then the Poles will also have trade markets to probe their conversations with other GMs. Similar to last year, a market could be the first choice. Another could be for current starter Justin Fields.

What is the biggest risk for the Poles and the Bears? Stick with a quarterback who has the trust of his teammates but still ranks in the bottom third of the league in many statistical areas? Or is he passing on the top QBs in the draft for the second year in a row?

Which teams might be interested in Fields?

According to NFL.com, 66 quarterbacks started for teams during the 2023 season. That’s a lot. But two more have started for teams during the 2022 season. That’s crazy.

Teams are always looking for quarterbacks, and some won’t be able to find answers in free agency or the draft. Unlike other teams, the Bears are guaranteed a first-round pick.

There were 12 quarterbacks included in Randy Mueller’s list of the 150 best free agents for Atletico. Only two of them – Kirk Cousins ​​of the Minnesota Vikings and Baker Mayfield of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers – made the top 20. San Francisco 49ers backup Sam Darnold was next at No. 98.

The commercial market comes next. Teams will be looking for certainty at the most important position in sports ahead of the draft. There could be a competitive market for Fields.

With the help of Atletico‘s beat writers, here are five potential trade partners to consider as the NFL world descends on Indianapolis next week.

Atlanta Falcons

New Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson didn’t reveal much when talking about what the team wants in its next quarterback.

“Whether it’s a pocket guy, whether it’s a guy that can move around a little bit, we’re just going to look for the best guy,” Robinson said.

However, the fact that Robinson has spent his entire career under Rams coach Sean McVay in Los Angeles suggests he’s looking for a Jared Goff-Matthew Stafford type. Fields’ big arm will appeal to Robinson, though. Robinson said the first thing he looks for is “how someone throws the ball and what it looks like.”

Whether the Falcons pursue Fields may simply come down to options. They don’t have a clear path to their next quarterback considering they pick eighth in the first round and Atlanta isn’t a major free agency destination in the league. — Josh Kendall

Denver Broncos

Sean Payton saw Fields at his best when the Broncos visited the Bears in Week 4 last season. Fields completed 28 of 35 passes for 335 yards and a career-high four touchdowns (a total he would match the following week). But in a narrow loss to the Bears, Fields also lost a fumble that was returned for a Broncos touchdown and threw an interception on Chicago’s final drive, signaling defeat.

After expressing frustration with Russell Wilson’s inability to protect the ball in key moments last season, I don’t see the Broncos giving up significant draft capital for a quarterback in Fields who, while younger and more athletic than Wilson, is not was able to do it. fully address his ball security issues.

If the Broncos are going to move capital into a deal to acquire a quarterback, it’s more likely to be a move for a rookie that Payton can mold into his offense, even if that means the player has to sit for a season behind Jarrett Stidham. . — Nick Kosmider

Raiders of Las Vegas

The Raiders are very unlikely to pursue Fields because they hired the offensive coordinator who was fired after working with him in Chicago last season.

Luke Getsy was selected by the Raiders for his work as passing game coordinator with the Packers and his game concepts with the Bears, as the Raiders decided the biggest problem with the Bears’ offense in the last two seasons he was the quarterback and not the offensive coordinator. Getsy also worked with Raiders receiver Davante Adams in Green Bay. — Vic Tafur

New England Patriots

The Patriots are exploring all options to improve their quarterback situation, even if the most likely route means using the No. 1 pick. 3 of the position. But they might be tempted to draft Marvin Harrison Jr., arguably the best receiver prospect of the last decade. So perhaps there’s an argument to trade for Fields and use that top pick on Harrison, immediately upgrading both quarterback and wide receiver — arguably the two biggest weaknesses on the roster.

While it appears the Pats are more likely to pursue a quarterback with their third-round pick, if those future picks (likely Maye and Daniels) disappoint in combine interviews, perhaps the Patriots would consider parting ways with their third-rounder round. select (No. 68) for Fields. — Chad Graff

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers have two paths to take at quarterback: hope new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith can unlock something in Kenny Pickett that the NFL hasn’t seen or look for an upgrade elsewhere.

While the Rooney family is known for taking a patient approach, general manager Omar Khan has already made deals with the Bears and Fields may be the most realistic of the outside options. Fields’ mobility would add another wrinkle to the run-heavy scheme Smith will likely install, and the former Buckeye’s big arm would showcase the skill set of underutilized deep threat George Pickens. The quarterback would also be backed by what is projected to be the highest-paid defense in the NFL, so he wouldn’t be asked to be a finished product right away.

But what is the price? If you’re giving up something to get him, it’s probably prudent to double down by picking up the estimated $23.3 million fifth-year option in May. Beyond that, and perhaps most significantly, the Steelers should be prepared to take a punt on Pickett. That’s a big gamble for a quarterback the Bears didn’t trade just three years after giving up four picks to get him. — Mike De Fabo

How would the trading take place?

Last year the New York Jets went all in. They traded for Aaron Rodgers.

In 2022, the Broncos have put all their chips in. They acquired Russell Wilson.

A team that is interested in Fields and then acquires him in a trade with the Bears wouldn’t do the same. He could hedge his bets on the position, not just bet on Fields.

Fields’ situation also appears different from the Panthers’ desperate decision to acquire Darnold from the Jets in 2021 for a sixth-round pick in that draft and a second- and fourth-round pick in 2022. The Panthers then guaranteed his fifth-year option.

These three trades, however, occurred before the draft. It’s important. Some QB-needy teams will seek clarity ahead of the unpredictability of the draft. Other teams may be forced to wait until the draft.

The Polish plan will have to be flexible, but only up to a certain point. The Bears have been complimentary of Fields since the end of the season. The Poles, coach Matt Eberflus and president/CEO Kevin Warren all did. But this could be seen as an attempt to create leverage in trade conversations that could happen in Indianapolis.

For all his physical gifts and glimpses of potential stardom, Fields’ numbers tell you not to pick up his fifth-year option for the 2025 season.

Among qualified QBs, Fields finished the 2023 season 29th in completion percentage, 23rd in passing yards per game, 22nd in passer rating, 24th in QBR, 26th in adjusted net yards per attempt, 31st in sack percentage and 22nd in interception rate (according to Professional Football Reference). His numbers on third downs, in the fourth quarter and in late-game situations don’t inspire much confidence either.

As always, more context is needed. The Bears, as an organization, should be blamed for his failures as much as he is, if not more. But the situation is what it is. The Bears have incorporated the ability to rotate from Fields if needed.

Fields, however, could still be the best option for other teams after free agency and before the draft. The difference between the Bears and those teams is that they have the first pick. The project still starts from them.

(Top photo: Michael Reaves/Getty Images)