One of the biggest fears among fans was what would happen in the locker room if the Chicago Bears traded Justin Fields. It was no secret the quarterback was beloved by his teammates. Many players, from D.J. Moore to Jaylon Johnson, Cole Kmet, Jaquan Brisker, and others, said they wanted Fields to remain the starter. They felt he was both the talent and leader the team needed to keep climbing towards the playoffs. That made the situation delicate for GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus.
Eventually, the moment came. Fields was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a conditional draft pick in 2025. Poles said the deal made sense because it allowed the QB to compete for a starting job with a stable organization. The GM and head coach made sure to call him together once the deal became official, thanking him for enduring a tough situation the past three years with class and grace. That left one problem: informing the rest of the locker room. Adam Jahns of The Athletic revealed how that went down.
Eberflus then called Fields’ former Bears teammates. The team leaders needed to be contacted. The Bears wanted to break the news to them first. Tight end Cole Kmet, receiver DJ Moore and a handful of others received calls.
“(It’s) just being upfront and honest with those guys and they appreciated that,” Eberflus said. “Every guy that I talked to said, ‘Hey, Coach, I appreciate you reaching out and letting me know ahead of time.’ … They were always appreciative of the communication.”
The players were told that both sides felt the Steelers provided the best opportunity for Fields to be successful.
“They understand there is a business part to it,” Poles said. “Just because you trade someone, it doesn’t mean you don’t like them or appreciate them. We thought it was the best move for where we’re at.”
Justin Fields is another reminder of how timing is everything.
He arrived in Chicago at the worst possible time. The current regime was on the hot seat. They needed a home run at quarterback. Unfortunately, they also had an aging roster with serious depth concerns. When Fields failed to excel right away, it set the tone for what was to follow. Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace were fired. Poles and Eberflus came in. Immediately, they recognized the serious issues with the roster and made the difficult decision to hit the reset button. They worked hard to reload quickly, giving Fields better protection and weapons by the start of 2023.
Sadly, it wasn’t enough. His progress as a passer was too slow. When the Bears came away with the #1 pick in the 2024 draft, that sealed his fate. Poles knew he could reset the contract clock, allowing him to continue building the roster towards what he hopes is a championship level without having to navigate a tight salary cap. Justin Fields will get a chance to reboot his career with an organization that likes him and is willing to be patient with his development.
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Any ideas of a locker room mutiny appear to have been avoided.
@ManGod Caleb is indeed straight. Erik Lambert already shot his shot months ago.
What happened? Most of the players realized immediately that the Steelers will be winning more than the Bears, and that by letting Fields go – the Bears threw away any hope of making playoffs this coming season.
Ok! So the new rumor mill has C Williams being gay! Why? Because he showed up to support the ladies of USC by openly wearing pink lipstick, pink painted nails and carrying a pink phone case? A totally meritless assumption based on absurdity, immaturity, homophobic to be openly honest. Will the wonder of stupidity never cease to exist?
@Rick Deckard —
I don’t know about you — but I wanted the Bears to draft Clemson’s QB, Deshaun Watson, back then.
Pace made his mistakes — but those all belong to Ryan Pace.
Poles has an opportunity to turn things around — but, Ryan Pace can neither help; nor hinder.
Think about it.
Hey TGena — Speaking of a Bears GM trying to prove himself as the smartest guy in the room, I would say nothing was more egregious than the 2017 draft when Ryan Pace traded up to take Mitchell Trubisky in the first round. Then, he followed that pick by taking Adam Shaheen of Ashland College in the second round. Trubisky continues to bounce around the NFL as a backup while Shaheen is now out of the NFL after having 50 career receptions. Awesome!!!!!
Why oh why did we get rid of Pace for Poles? Glory Days.