After months of speculation about where he might land, quarterback Justin Fields has a new home.
The Chicago Bears reportedly traded Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday afternoon for a draft pick, putting the former first-round draft pick in a possible competition with quarterback Russell Wilson.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter said that Chicago will get anywhere from a fourth-round pick to a sixth-round pick based on how much Fields plays this season.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero added that a source told him Wilson is the starter in Pittsburgh once the deal was reported, but you never know how these things go until we get to the season.
Let’s break down this deal for Chicago and Pittsburgh and see who came out on top.
Trade details
According to Schefter, here are the trade details:
Pittsburgh gets: QB Justin Fields
Chicago gets: A 2025 sixth-round pick that could turn into a fourth-round pick if Fields plays 51-percent of the plays in 2024
Pittsburgh Steelers
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The Steelers swapped out former first-round quarterbacks, and Fields definitely represents an upgrade over Kenny Pickett in that department. Steelers general manager Omar Khan gave up virtually nothing to get Fields in Pittsburgh as Wilson’s backup at worst and legitimate competition for Wilson at best, as Pittsburgh will likely decline Fields’ fifth-year option and see how he does for a year under Arthur Smith’s tutelage.
Smith’s run-happy offense should hypothetically be a great fit for Fields’ clear strength, and it wouldn’t be surprised to see Fields get in games for certain packages even if Wilson really is the starter for Pittsburgh outright. As far as backup quarterbacks go, Fields is automatically one of the best in the NFL. If he pushes Wilson for the starting job, it’s a promising sign for his development.
After all, Fields still has real potential to be a starting quarterback in the league, even if there are concerning traits he’s developed as a passer in his three seasons. The Steelers owed it to themselves to try and make this work, even if it’s far from a guarantee.
Particularly with Wilson on the roster already, this is a worthwhile gamble for the Steelers to see if they’re able to fix Fields’ passing game struggles and make him the franchise’s long-term starter. If not, it’s just a sixth-round pick next year for your troubles.
Grade: B+
Chicago Bears
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There was no real world where the Bears were going to keep Fields after landing the first-overall 2024 NFL Draft pick in this year’s quarterback class. Caleb Williams will be their next quarterback, and Chicago will have to hope that works out much better than Fields did.
To the team’s credit, they did right by Fields by sending him to the best-possible landing spot for him at this juncture. The Steelers can float out there how confident they are in Wilson’s ability to lead the team, but you have to think having Fields on the roster will incentivize them to make it a quiet competition if the latter outshines the former in training camp.
How this trade ultimately works out for the Bears will be determined in a few years. If Williams doesn’t pan out and Fields finds his second wind in Pittsburgh, it’ll be another sad story for Bears fans at quarterback. If Williams is great and Fields never finds his footing, it’ll never be thought of again. If both wind up stinking, well, that’s Chicago quarterbacking for you.
The return is what it is at this point. Chicago probably could’ve gotten a better pick by waiting closer to the draft for a team getting cold feet at landing X rookie quarterback, but they did right by the player. That’s what Ryan Poles promised during the NFL combine, so we’ll give him credit for sticking to his word … even if an eventual sixth-round pick would be a bitter pill to swallow after dreams of a first floated around the realm of possibility a few months ago. In a league filled with cold business, it does feel kind of endearing that this is the ending Chicago found for Fields.
Grade: B
