Justin Fields has his fair share of supporters inside the Chicago Bears locker room. But the quarterback will likely soon be on the move, with the Bears reportedly fielding trade inquiries about the former first-round draft pick. Chicago is widely expected to move on from Fields and take USC's Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The market for a potential Fields trade has drastically changed recently, as the Minnesota Vikings landed Kirk Cousins and the Pittsburgh Steelers added Russell Wilson -- taking two previously QB-needy teams out of the running for the Bears signal-caller. These teams register as logical suitors for Fields, who's flashed plenty of NFL-caliber athleticism in three promising but injury- and turnover-riddled seasons:
| 1 |  |
| The opportunities for Justin Fields to start in 2024 have dried up. I do not see him as a fit for the Vikings or Broncos, and there was a disconnect between Raiders OC Luke Getsy and Fields in Chicago. Philadelphia does not have a viable backup quarterback on the roster, and it did something similar in 2021 when it acquired Gardner Minshew. | |
| 2 |  |
| Arizona's backup quarterback is Clayton Tune, and it is committed to Kyler Murray for the 2024 season. Fields can be the backup to Murray, provide the Cardinals insurance in the event of injury and give them an extended look at Fields for the job long-term. The Browns also make sense for this reason, but they do not have a wealth of draft assets to trade in 2024. | |
| 3 |  |
| Jimmy Garoppolo's future was written the minute interim coach Antonio Pierce benched him for rookie Aidan O'Connell, and while the latter has flashed on occasion, he isn't likely to prevent Las Vegas from investing in competition. Picking outside the top 10, they might be better off exploring the trade market. Assistant GM Champ Kelly was a part of the Bears front office that drafted Fields early in 2021, and while it's debatable whether new coordinator Luke Getsy registers as an ideal mentor for the QB after two middling years as Fields' OC in Chicago, they'd at least have familiarity with each other. | |
| 4 |  |
| Geno Smith just saw part of his 2024 contract guaranteed, but his injury-riddled 2023 season may not stop Seattle from exploring younger alternatives, as team brass did prior to last year's draft. Picking No. 16 overall, they're unlikely to have a real crack at a top prospect in this year's class, and Smith can still be designated a post-June 1 cut to save $22.5 million. New head coach Mike Macdonald also just left a Ravens franchise that's thrived with a mobile QB in Lamar Jackson. | |
| 5 |  |
| Starting over with Jerod Mayo atop the staff, the Patriots are much more likely to address QB through the draft, where they could have a clean shot at either Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels or another preferred prospect in the top three. But they had high-level staffers onsite for Fields' pre-draft workouts, and it's possible they might've targeted him in 2021 if Chicago hadn't moved up; that was, of course, the year New England drafted Mac Jones at No. 15. | |
