It has long been assumed that the Chicago Bears will deal quarterback Justin Fields before the NFL draft in April. But on Friday, the timetable for a settlement became much more apparent.
During his interview on “ESPN 1000’s Kap and J.Hood” on February 23, Albert Breer, a sports illustrator, revealed that the Bears might have “the bones of a trade” in place at some time during the NFL Combine the following week. The pre-draft session is set for February 26–March 4.
“I don’t believe moving Justin Fields before the start of free agency necessitates paying the price. There will be significantly fewer clubs with quarterback openings if you wait until the end of March or the start of April, whatever that may be, Breer noted. I believe this is the reason there’s a sense of urgency to move forward with this if you’re the Bears. Because, rather than in three, four, or five weeks, the best return is most likely going to be accessible now.
On February 21, Courtney Cronin and Field Yates of ESPN put together a list of possible trade possibilities for Fields. The Pittsburgh Steelers, Atlanta Falcons, and Las Vegas Raiders were the three teams that were discussed. In an article published on Friday, ESPN’s Aaron Schatz argued in favor of Pittsburgh acquiring Fields.
Fields did have a better QBR (46.1 to 38.2) than Kenny Pickett had the previous season, but that was mostly due to his rushing ability. Fields hasn’t improved all that much as a passer over the past three years. He takes too many sacks and mixes too many routine mistakes with his standout plays. But here, upward is the problem.
Fields remains more of a prospect than many other young quarterbacks. You would have a good NFL starter if you could improve his passing. Furthermore, Fields’ nimbleness would be especially valuable behind a Pittsburgh defense that finished 17th in 2023 in terms of pass block victory percentage (57.6%).
According to NBC Sports Chicago, Fields has also been following a number of well-known Falcons offensive players. On February 21, Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda stated that the Raiders are considering a trade for Chicago’s starting quarterback. Fields returns at least a second-round selection to the Bears in trade in each of Yates’ trade proposals. His anticipated contract with the Steelers would include a fourth-round pick and the No. 51 overall pick in this year’s draft. Yates predicted that the Falcons will choose Fields with the 43rd overall pick and send him straight to Chicago.
Lastly, Yates anticipates a contract with the Raiders that would include wide receiver Hunter Renfrow and a 2024 third-round pick.
Yates stated, “Renfrow could help Chicago on offense, even though he is probably otherwise a cap casualty for Las Vegas. He posted 103 catches and 1,038 yards in 2021.” The Bears’ top slot receiver snap total from the previous campaign was Darnell Mooney, a free agency in the offseason. I would recommend a renegotiated contract for Renfrow as part of the agreement. Let’s take a year and a maximum of $7 million with incentives (guaranteed to be $3 million). The good news for Fields and Bears supporters, regardless of the final terms of the transaction, is that information about it should become available as the combine draws near.
