The first wave of free agency has come and gone, and Justin Fields remains a member of the Bears.
When the offseason began, the Steelers, Falcons and Vikings all were floated as possible landing spots for the 25-year-old. But all three teams have since added a quarterback and don’t appear interested in a deal with Chicago.
The Bears, meanwhile, are just six weeks away from selecting first overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. Mock drafts continue to project QB Caleb Williams as Chicago’s pick, making for an awkward situation if Fields remains on the roster.
There is still plenty of time to trade Fields before the draft, but the dwindling number of trade partners begs the question: Why haven’t the Bears made a deal already?
Here’s what you need to know about why Fields hasn’t been traded and where he could still end up.
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Why haven’t the Bears traded Justin Fields?
The reason for the lack of a Fields trade depends on who you ask.
The Athletic’s Vic Tafur reported Monday that the Raiders were “kicking the tires” on a potential deal for Fields, but Las Vegas agreed to a two-year deal with Gardner Minshew mere minutes later.
KOA Colorado’s Benjamin Allbright poured cold water on the idea that there is a market for Fields at all, calling interest “incredibly thin” and reporting that Fields could be dealt as a backup.
Wouldn’t be surprised if Justin Fields winds up as a backup with the Colts or Eagles.
Several teams that were being reported were never in play, and the market has been incredibly thin on him as the Bears have shopped him for a few weeks.
— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) March 11, 2024
Tuesday brought a new element to the discussion, with NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reporting that the Bears haven’t even entertained a Fields trade at this point. Chicago is still weighing what to do with the No. 1 overall pick, per Rapoport, and no deal will be on the table until that point.
Why haven’t the #Bears traded Justin Fields? Well: This isn’t a Justin Fields situation, it’s a Caleb Williams situation. Let me explain… pic.twitter.com/zmOAIqA26O
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 12, 2024
Not all of these scenarios can be true, which makes it difficult to figure out exactly what’s going on.
It’s unlikely that Fields would still be with the Bears if the organization received an offer that the front office considered fair, though. With most reports indicating the Bears plan to select Williams with the No. 1 overall pick, it’s a bit hard to believe Chicago is actually still debating whether or not to move forward with Fields.
MORE: Timeline of every Bears starting quarterback since 2000
The most likely explanation for the lack of a deal is that the Bears just haven’t received the interest they expected. Why? Fields is in a unique situation. Franchise quarterbacks such as Kirk Cousins have easily found homes. The backup quarterback market has also moved quickly. Fields is somewhere in the middle.
The Bears likely view his value as being higher than that of a backup quarterback, but it’s unlikely there are many teams looking to give up a valuable asset for a starting quarterback who hasn’t proven himself.
Fields also only has just one year remaining on his contract, unless a team is confident enough to pick up his $ 25.6 million fifth-year option, so no team can’t spend a year developing him without worry he could leave.
Quarterbacks are the most important players on the field, and Fields has at the very least proven he can be dynamic with his rushing ability. Knowing that, a deal should come together at some point. But how long that might take is anyone’s guess.
Justin Fields landing spots
Broncos
The Broncos have no solution at quarterback and were reportedly in on Sam Darnold before Darnold signed with the Vikings. If the asking price is coming down on Fields, Denver could be a prime landing spot.
Sean Payton could find his new quarterback in the draft, but that option would still be on the table even with Fields in the picture. Trading for Fields would be one way to convince fans that 2024 won’t be a total wash in Denver, and it would serve as a lottery ticket in the event Fields actually proves he’s worth a longer audition to be the franchise’s solution at quarterback.
Vikings
The Vikings signed Darnold. Will that stop them from adding another quarterback? It shouldn’t.
That second quarterback could come in the draft, and it’s understandable if general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has his heart set on moving up for one in April. If not, Fields is an option that should still be on the table.
Darnold has endured some bad situations and could very well enter his Geno Smith era in Minnesota, but that scenario is probably far-fetched. Why not add Fields and see which quarterback wins out?
Eagles
The Eagles had an athletic backup in Marcus Mariota last season, and adding one of the most athletic quarterbacks in football would make sense — if Fields could be had at the right price.
Would there be concern about Hurts looking over his shoulder if Fields is behind him? Philadelphia media would undoubtedly start that discussion the second Hurts struggled, and the Eagles may want to avoid the same dynamic that tanked their 2020 season, in which Carson Wentz took exception to Hurts’ presence.
MORE: Where could Justin Fields go?
Colts
There’s a reason the Colts came up in the same breath as the Eagles in Allbright’s report. Coach Shane Steichen ran the system that propelled Hurts to a career year in 2022, and Indianapolis drafted a player with a similar skillset when Anthony Richardson was added a year ago. Fields, of course, relies on mobility as a huge part of his game just as Hurts and Richardson do.
With Gardner Minshew joining the Raiders and a vacancy behind Richardson, who showed last season that his risky style of play leads to injury concerns, it would make plenty of sense to put a similar player in Fields behind him.
Ravens
As long as we’re talking about Fields as a backup, the Ravens would make plenty of sense as well.
Lamar Jackson’s longtime backup, Tyler Huntley, is a free agent. Fields has a similar skillset to Jackson, and Jackson’s MVP season in 2023 shouldn’t allow the Ravens to forget that he missed the end of the 2021 and 2022 campaigns due to injury.
If Baltimore needs to win a game or two without Jackson in an AFC North division that often comes down to the final weekend, Fields is absolutely equipped to do it.
