Steelers become betting favorites to land Bears' quarterback Justin Fields after latest reports
The Chicago Bears will soon have to make a decision regarding the most important position in football but the decision could be made for them. The Bears will have to choose between either quarterback Justin Fields or potentially Caleb Williams (or whichever rookie is selected with the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft) […]
The Chicago Bears will soon have to make a decision regarding the most important position in football but the decision could be made for them.
The Bears will have to choose between either quarterback Justin Fields or potentially Caleb Williams (or whichever rookie is selected with the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft) to be the team's starting quarterback in 2024.
However, based on the current reports, the Bears could be leaning a certain way on the matter and could begin exploring trade candidates looking to acquire Fields ahead of the draft. One team specifically has started gaining a lot of buzz this week to potentially look into trading for the former first round pick.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are starting to enter the Justin Fields sweepstakes and could be the most interested team on the radar the Bears can begin having negotiations with. According to Pro Football Focus' Brad Spielberger, "some people in the Steelers front office" are fans of Fields. Another reported name who's apparently a big fan of the young quarterback in Pittsburgh is head coach Mike Tomlin, according to ESPN insider Adam Schefter.
Following these reports, the Steelers have now become the betting favorites to land Fields and even have higher odds than the Bears themselves. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Steelers have -125 odds to land Fields with the Bears having the second best odds at +200. Here's how the current odds are looking:
Steelers -125
Bears +200
Falcons +600
Patriots +650
Broncos +1200
Commanders +1200
Raiders +1200
Based on this news, the Steelers are the first known team potentially connected with pursuing Fields this offseason and it makes perfect sense as to why. The Steelers' offense has struggled mightily over the last two seasons after quarterback Ben Roethlisberger retired. The unit has rotated between quarterbacks Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, and Mason Rudolph with neither showing any long-term promise. In fact, one of those players (Trubisky) has already been recently released.
The Steelers offense has plenty of talent to be successful in wide receivers Diontae Johnson and George Pickens, running backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, along with some established players on the offensive line. Not to mention one of the league's top defenses who has carried the franchise for years.
Pittsburgh also recently hired a new offensive coordinator in Arthur Smith who had multiple fans wanting to see Fields operate his offense during his tenure as the head coach for the Atlanta Falcons. Perhaps the two could finally come together with the Steelers next season.
Having the Steelers potentially showing major interest in Fields could even bode extremely well for the Bears when it comes to negotiating a strong return in the trade. Among the other teams who could be interested in Fields, the Steelers are the ones more likely to cough up a first round pick in exchange for the Bears' quarterback.
The Steelers currently have the 20th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and could be willing to trade it if it means securing their next quarterback while out-bidding the competition. The Bears would more than likely have to sweeten up the deal with a future mid-late round pick of their own but it's entirely worth it to lock in three first round picks on the opening night of April's draft.
It's a win-win-win opportunity for the Bears, Steelers and Fields. The Bears potentially get three picks in the first round plus their next franchise quarterback, the Steelers finally get a promising young quarterback worth building around, and Fields gets to play in a competent offense best suited to his abilities. Who says no to this deal?
Predicting the Bears’ trade partner, compensation for Justin Fields
What could the trade potentially look like?
