Bears' trade market for Justin Fields continues to dwindle following latest NFL bombshell
The 2024 free agency period is already off to a roaring start and the top quarterbacks are beginning to fly off the market, which is a bad sign for the Chicago Bears. After the latest NFL bombshell involving Kirk Cousins agreeing to a deal with the Atlanta Falcons, the number of interested teams for quarterback […]
The 2024 free agency period is already off to a roaring start and the top quarterbacks are beginning to fly off the market, which is a bad sign for the Chicago Bears.
After the latest NFL bombshell involving Kirk Cousins agreeing to a deal with the Atlanta Falcons, the number of interested teams for quarterback Justin Fields is continuing to fall.
This latest major signing comes after Russell Wilson signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baker Mayfield re-signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. So, who's left to pursue a trade for Fields if the Bears still want to move on?
Top Options To Trade For Justin Fields After First Wave of Free Agency
The market to acquire the Bears' 2023 starting quarterback keeps continuing to get drier and it seems like the Bears will have to lower their expected asking price for the former first-round draft pick.
It appears getting anything close to a first round pick is a forgone conclusion for the Bears and at this rate, the front office will be lucky to even get a second round pick in return. For comparison, the Jacksonville Jaguars agreed to a trade that will send New England Patriots' quarterback Mac Jones to Jacksonville in exchange for a 2024 sixth-round draft pick (No. 192).
Jones was drafted four spots after Fields in the 2021 NFL Draft and actually led his team to the playoffs in 2021, something Fields has yet to achieve. Jones has also thrown for over 2,000 more yards and six more passing touchdowns.
With the number of interested teams continuing to fall, here are the current teams that could be interested in pursuing a trade for Fields.
Las Vegas Raiders
At the time of this post, the Raiders have yet to acquire another quarterback to add to the roster alongside 2023 rookie Aidan O'Connell. The Raiders are expected to be in the market for a quarterback under head coach Antonio Pierce and are expected to release Jimmy Garoppolo from his contract.
Fields also has a connection already in-house in Las Vegas in offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. Getsy served as Fields' offensive coordinator for the last two seasons in Chicago and was hired by the Raiders after parting ways with the Bears this offseason.
The scheme familiarity with Getsy along with having wide receivers Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers as his top targets presents an interesting fit for Fields with the Raiders. Since the Raiders also don't pick until the 13th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, this might be their only opportunity to land a solid quarterback for next season.
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are slowly becoming a sneaky fit to land Fields at some point this offseason as an experienced backup behind Deshaun Watson. After Watson went down during the 2023 season, the Browns panicked to find a serviceable backup and got lucky with 2023 Comeback Player of the Year Joe Flacco. With Flacco departing in free agency, the Browns will once again be looking for a cheap backup quarterback.
With Fields' 2024 price, the Browns could take a flier on Fields to have as a back pocket option at the position and if it doesn’t work out, he can just hit free agency in 2025 if his fifth-year option isn’t picked up. It might even do Fields some good to sit behind Watson in Kevin Stefanski's offense before getting a starting opportunity again.
Minnesota Vikings
It would be hard to see an in-division trade go down involving a quarterback who would be an immediate starter, but if the Bears are serious about wanting to move on from Fields ahead of the draft for the best offer, the Vikings offer the highest price.
After losing out on keeping Cousins in free agency, I expect the Vikings to move quick to find their 2024 starter after watching their season fall apart once Cousins went down in 2023. The Vikings roster is already loaded with top pass catchers and Kevin O'Connell's offense would be a perfect fit for Fields' play-making skills. But, would the Bears be willing to pull this off? Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has pulled off in-division trades before, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he reaches out.
Chicago Bears 2024 free agency tracker for all new signings, re-signings and trade updates
Here’s which players the Bears have brought into Chicago.
