Trades in the NFL are always a risky proposition. And when multiple bidders are involved, a team can never know if it chose the right partner.
Such appears to have been the case when the Chicago Bears sent former quarterback and 2021 first-round pick Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers, clearing way for 2024 first-overall pick Caleb Williams to take over the reins under center in Chicago.
It became clear that the Bears were going to have to deal Fields once they zeroed in on Williams with the draft pick that they got from the Carolina Panthers in a 2023 blockbuster. But Fields revealed recently that they could have dealt him to several other teams.
Speaking on the Not Just Football podcast with Steelers teammate Cam Heyward, Fields said that the Bears also had interest from the Los Angeles Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, and Las Vegas Raiders before eventually sending their former first-rounder to Pittsburgh.
“I’m not sure of all the teams, but there were a lot of teams that already had solidified quarterbacks and I didn’t want to do that. Chargers were one, Ravens were another,” Fields said. “Raiders, they talked a little bit. I don’t know too much. Who else was in there I don’t know, but a lot of teams had solidified quarterbacks who just got new contracts so I didn’t want to be there.”
Fields wouldn’t have much of a chance to play for either the Chargers or Ravens, considering those teams have Justin Herbert and Lamar Jackson. Becoming a backup so early in a quarterback’s career is a tough path to long-term success, though Sam Darnold seems to be proving it’s possible on the Minnesota Vikings.
The Raiders would have been a more interesting fit, considering their current starter, Gardner Minshew, is constantly rumored to be in danger of being benched. But the Steelers are a significantly more talented team, and Fields could theoretically lead them to the playoffs.
However things went down in negotiations, it seems the Bears did right by Fields. He’s in a favorable situation now, and the pressure now falls on Chicago to prove they chose the right quarterback to replace him.
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