Bears fans still have a major reason to root for Justin Fields even though he's now with the Steelers
The Chicago Bears fan base was split before the draft. The majority was happy with the possibility of getting a prospect like Caleb Williams, but a loud group wanted to trade down from the first overall pick to give Justin Fields another chance. At the end, general manager Ryan Poles made the obvious move, trading […]
The Chicago Bears fan base was split before the draft. The majority was happy with the possibility of getting a prospect like Caleb Williams, but a loud group wanted to trade down from the first overall pick to give Justin Fields another chance.
At the end, general manager Ryan Poles made the obvious move, trading Fields away to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The compensation wasn't what the Bears were initially expecting, but it also gives Bears fans a good reason to keep rooting for Fields in 2024.
When the deal was finalized, the Steelers agreed to pay a 6th-round pick to the Bears in 2025. The the pick is conditional and goes to a 4th-rounder if Fields plays at least 51% of the Steelers' offensive snaps this season.
At first, the Steelers decided that Russell Wilson would be the starter. But a calf injury made him miss the first two games of the regular season, and it looks like Wilson won't play in week 3 once again.
"We're in the same posture as we were in last week with [Russell Wilson]," Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said on Tuesday. "We're readying a plan that features Justin [Fields] in his readiness. We'll follow Russ throughout the week. We're readying ourselves around Justin, and we'll stay in that mindset until something else happens. Hypotheticals is a waste of our time."
How much does Fields need to play
Last season, the Pittsburgh Steelers had 1,071 offensive snaps. This year, they are on pace to have 1,139. Let's use these numbers as a baseline. So 51% of the snaps would be something between 547 and 581 snaps.
So far, Justin Fields has played 100% of the snaps, which means 134 plays on offense. For the quarterback to reach the magic number, he still has to play six and a half games. Considering that Fields will play on Sunday, there will be only five and a half games left.
Presumably, Russell Wilson will have a chance at starting once he's fully healthy. But even though Justin Fields hasn't been spectacular, he's been fine enough to keep the offense afloat while the defense dominates, leading to a 2-0 record.
Considering Wilson's injury history, it'll be hard for the former Bears quarterback to see the field again. But based on performance, the Steelers might end up just opting to play the younger guy to see what they have.
If Fields plays well on Sunday, the chances are higher.
So Justin Fields' era with the Chicago Bears is over for good, but fans still have a good reason to root for him throughout the rest of the season — and a fourth-rounder seems like a much more realistic type of compensation based on what the Bears wanted back in March and April.
Future
The Steelers opted not to exercise Justin Fields’ fifth-year option for 2025. Therefore, this year is the last one of his rookie contract. Next offseason, Fields will be an unrestricted free agency. So his performance this season is not only important to improve the Bears’ draft compensation, but also for Fields himself to have a new opportunity and a decent payday — be it for the Steelers or somewhere else.
