ESPN Analyst Names Perfect Trade Partner for Bears, Justin Fields

The Chicago QB’s future is up in the air, but the NFL insider believes he has the ideal trade fit.

As the NFL free agency frenzy rolls on, it’s been surprisingly quiet on the trade front regarding Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields. The question surrounding the 25-year-old quarterback has seemingly shifted from what Chicago can get in return via trade to who even makes sense as a potential suitor.

ESPN analyst Louis Riddick is convinced the Seattle Seahawks are the team that should emerge and make a play for Fields. On Tuesday night, he took to social media to make his trade pitch to Seattle for the former Ohio State star.

[2024 NFL Free Agency: Latest News & Analysis]

“Go and get Justin Fields #Seahawks …. I have been saying it all day. You have one QB on the roster. Let him compete.” Riddick posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Go and get Justin Fields #Seahawks ….

I have been saying it all day.

You have one QB on the roster.

Let him compete.

— Louis Riddick (@LRiddickESPN) March 13, 2024

While current Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith is under contract through the 2025 season, his deal has no guaranteed salary after this year. The team could hypothetically part ways with him after 2024 and incur $13.5 million in dead money while saving $25 million against the cap.

But that’s only worth discussing if the Seahawks were to acquire Fields or add another quarterback who proved to be the long-term answer for the franchise under center. Smith made the Pro Bowl and won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award in 2022 but suffered a statistical decline in 2023, throwing 10 fewer touchdown passes than the year before.

Seattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith is the team’s only quarterback on the active roster currently :: AP Photo/Frank Franklin II

If the Bears do opt to trade Fields before the 2024 NFL draft, the assets they receive in return will be a major talking point. The quarterback market has diminished, and there’s a widespread belief that as many as four signal-callers could be drafted in the top 10.

Sports Illustrated’s latest mock draft has six quarterbacks coming off the board in the first round, with Oregon’s Bo Nix and Washington’s Michael Penix at the bottom of the first round. This factor alone will work against the Bears in the pursuit of trading Fields.