Before the Chicago Bears decide which quarterback to pick with the #1 draft selection in April, they must figure out what to do with Justin Fields. Recent rumors would have you think there is a possibility GM Ryan Poles looks to keep the embattled starter. He could serve as an excellent bridge, giving the next guy a year to prepare for the transition. However, the overwhelming belief is the Bears will look to trade Fields. They should have a healthy market for his services. It will be about finding the best offer.
Often, in these situations, the best offer comes from a team that is both desperate for a quarterback and could be viewed as a good fit. Derrik Klassen of The 33rd Team is widely considered among the top QB experts out there. He’s watched a lot of Fields over the past three years. Based on his understanding of the current NFL landscape, three teams are the most conceivable new homes. One is the Atlanta Falcons, for reasons most people know by now. Another is the New England Patriots since they could miss out on the top two quarterback prospects. Yet one team stands above the rest in his estimation.
The Pittsburgh Steelers.
“The Steelers make a lot of sense for Fields, even beyond the open starting job. The Steelers are a beacon of organizational stability.
Sure, we can hound them for not winning anything meaningful in years, but Mike Tomlin and the Steelers know how to be competitive and keep their act together. Fields could use that stability.
Pittsburgh’s offensive environment also makes sense for Fields. The Steelers hired former Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith to run the offense. Poke fun as we might, Smith is still a good offensive play-caller, and his run-run-boot offensive formula is a perfect fit for Fields.
The Steelers also have some ball-winners in the offense, which fits Fields’ style. George Pickens and Pat Friermuth have the wide-radius and contested-catch skills that Fields can make great use of.”
Justin Fields to Pittsburgh is hard to argue with.
Right now, their two best options are Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph. Neither can be considered remotely in the same zip code as Fields in terms of talent. There are whispers the team could look into veteran Ryan Tannehill, but he turns 36 in July and hasn’t played well in years. The Steelers hold the 20th overall pick in the draft. So unless they’re planning a massive move up the board, they aren’t getting any of the top QB prospects. Fields is probably their best option unless they can lure one of the big-name free agents like Kirk Cousins or Baker Mayfield. Both would cost a lot more money.
Head coach Mike Tomlin is said to have strong ties to Ohio State. He likely has tons of solid information on Justin Fields, both as a player and a person. It is hard to imagine him not being on board with the idea of trading for the 25-year-old. As always, it comes down to compensation. Reports indicate the Bears should get somewhere in the vicinity of a 2nd round pick. It could be more if the market is strong enough. That could make things difficult for Pittsburgh since their 2nd rounder is on the later side. Would they be willing to put #20 on the table? We shall see.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
If the Steelers want to give up #20 for Fields you take it. If they don’t then don’t take it. You all are over thinking all of this. Ohh nooo…the Steelers have the Jedi mind tricks….
Get over it.
The problem with trading with the Steelers is that they are typically very shrewd. They don’t make mindblowingly stupid trades as a general rule.
So, if the Steelers make you an offer for Fields, you need to ask yourself A) Why do they want him when we decided he wasn’t the answer here? and B) What will other teams offer that might be better, because the Steelers aren’t usually stupid (unlike the Bears, who… well, you know the history as well as I do, so why repeat it here?)
Getting 20th pick from PITT for Fields so we could grab JPJ at Center IS A PIPE DREAM!
Thanks for the suggestion though. We needed to laugh a little before the NFL Combine starts.
Oh get over yourself melhus. Everything is speculation this time of year. And yes, even the trash you post.
Gripes with the article aside (see my other post), I do like the idea of trading Fields to Pittsburgh for the #20 pick. It would be a good landing place for him; Tomlin and Smith should be able to make better use of his talents than Getsy did. The Bears would have a good shot at someone like Jackson Powers-Johnson, the center out of Oregon, who could lock down the position for a decade with top 10, maybe top 5, center play, bolstering the interior of the OL. Another benefit of trading Fields to Pittsburgh, one that the NFL community… Read more »