If the Chicago Bears want to trade Justin Fields, they will need the market to cooperate. That is why all eyes are on free agency. The market opens in a few days. Three names were set to become objects of heavy interest from multiple QB-needy teams. That number has now dropped to two. At the 11th hour, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers locked up Baker Mayfield to a new three-year contract, keeping him in the fold after his excellent 2023 season. This development is good news for the Bears, too.
In order for a Fields market to form, they need three things to happen. One was Mayfield staying in Tampa. That has occurred. The others were Kirk Cousins staying in Minnesota and Russell Wilson signing with any teams other than Atlanta and Pittsburgh since both are rumored to have interest in Fields. The good news is that Cousins and the Vikings are still discussing a return. The bad news is he will still test the free agent market. Word is the Falcons are prepared to make a hard push to sign him. They won’t be alone, though. Reports are that Denver will be involved as well.
As for Wilson, he’s already met with the Steelers. However, other teams like the Giants and Raiders are involved as well.
The Chicago Bears are content to wait this thing out.
While they would’ve preferred to get something done before free agency began, the market hasn’t cooperated. Rather than force the issue, GM Ryan Poles has decided to stay patient. He will first see what happens with the top free agents, then reassess the market in a couple of weeks. With a bit of luck, some teams will fail to land any of their options, leaving them in a rough situation. Either they try to trade up for a quarterback in the draft, or they pray that one of the lower-tier options is worth the risk.
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In situations like that, players like Fields become far more digestible.
Mayfield staying in Tampa Bay is a good first step. It feels like Cousins is the one who will steer where all of this goes. If he ends up in Atlanta, it could make things difficult for the Chicago Bears. If he goes almost anywhere else, the door pops wide open for a trade to happen. As always, the hardest part is the waiting. In the meantime, Poles will focus his efforts on shoring up other parts of the roster.
