We are just three years removed from Justin Fields being selected 11th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, and even though he is coming off of the best season of his young career, the Bears could not find anyone that was particularly interested in trading for him.
With the No. 1 pick in the upcoming 2024 Draft in April, the expectation is that Chicago will replace Fields with USC star Caleb Williams. However, as this year’s free agency went along, quarterback opportunities quickly dried up around the league, and with four QBs expected to go in the top 12 in April, Fields quickly found himself waiting on a trade without there being a clear starting job available to him.
However, a team finally decided they wanted to at least bring Fields into their QB room and give the former first round pick a chance to compete, as the Pittsburgh Steelers, long considered a Fields suitor, traded a sixth round pick (that could become a fourth if Fields plays a lot this year) to set up a Fields-Russell Wilson competition.
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The #Bears are trading QB Justin Fields to the #Steelers, sources say. A new QB into the competition. pic.twitter.com/hGQpbVwoRA
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 16, 2024
Bears are trading Justin Fields for a 2025 6th-round pick that goes to a 4th-round pick based on playtime, per sources. pic.twitter.com/E7JY7K60Wn
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 16, 2024
The Steelers have had a very busy offseason reshaping their QB room, letting Mason Rudolph walk, signing Wilson after his release from Denver, trading Kenny Pickett to the Eagles, and now trading for Fields. Fields threw for 2,562 yards, 16 TDs, and nine INTs last season, rushing for another 657 yards and four touchdowns. While the expectation will be that it’s Wilson’s job to lose, Fields could very well get himself an opportunity to showcase his skills at some point next year, as it’s not a guarantee Wilson thrives in Pittsburgh.
