Bears Get Little in Return for Starting QB

Justin Fields trade with Pittsburgh brings back only a conditional sixth-round pick for the Bears in the 2025 NFL Draft.

In the end, the marketplace said Justin Fields carried little value for an NFL team.

Bears GM Ryan Poles traded the quarterback who led the Bears for three seasons and all they got in return was a sixth-round pick, not even one in this year's draft.

The Bears obtained a conditional sixth-round pick in 2025 that could be a fourth-rounder based on Fields' playing time this season, according to a report by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

The trade ends the Fields era at 38 games, only 10 of them victories. How much of this was his fault and how much resulted from poor coaching, a team void of talent and how much was Fields' fault can be debated endlessly. It probably will.

However, the irony is they have finally become serious about supplying help on offense with the arrival last year of receiver DJ Moore in a trade, receiver Keenan Allen this week and also running back D'Andre Swift and tight end Gerald Everett.

The Steelers bring in Fields as the backup to Russell Wilson after trading away Kenny Pickett to Philadelphia and after backup Mason Rudolph signed with Tennessee.

According to the report, Fields needs to be on the field 51% of snaps before the Bears would get a fourth-round pick in the 2025 draft.

You mean to tell me that the Commanders, Patriots, Vikings, Giants, Titans, Broncos, & Raiders didn’t want to give up a conditional 6th round pick for Justin Fields?

Thats wild. pic.twitter.com/aBQfwo8MU5

— Alfredo Brown (@AlfredoABrown) March 16, 2024

Fields' career numbers, insufficient for an NFL starter, had improved each of the last two seasons in Luke Getsy's offense but not enough for the Bears to turn down the chance to draft a quarterback first, presumably Caleb Williams of USC.

He finished with 6,674 passing yards on 578 completions in 958 attempts (60.3%), with 40 touchdown throws and 30 interceptions. He averaged 7.0 yards per attempt and had a passer rating of 82.3, but made up for some of his weaknesses as a passer by rushing for

2,220 yards on 356 attempts and 14 touchdowns.

His passer rating of 86.3 last year was his highest, but just 1.1 points higher than in 2022. It was 73.2 as a rookie when the Bears forced him onto the field in Week 2 after a knee injury to starter Andy Dalton. Fields remained starter then through the rest of his career, missing two games in 2022 due to injury and four games last year with a thumb injury.

After the thumb injury his efficiency picked up and he threw seven TD passes with three interceptions, but two of the interceptions came on Hail Mary passes.

The common criticism of his game had been an inability to finish games or to hit shorter passes consistently. Fields had just three game-winning drives late in games, including two fourth-quarter comebacks One of the game-winning drives was just a three-down possession and a field goal after Roquan Smith's interception against Houston to secure a Bears win.

It had started so promising for Fields against the 49ers in the first game under Matt Eberflus, with a comeback win during monsoon, with Fields leading teammates on a belly flop slip-and-slide in the end zone after a 19-10 win. It ended with Fields leaving and bringing the Bears back little in return for the 11th pick of the 2021 draft, one they moved up nine spots to get when Ryan Pace was general manager.

Now the Bears can focus their attention on the pro day Wednesday at USC for Williams, and then his top-30 visit to Halas Hall. He's supposed to take a physical at some point, probably then, and there will likely be no draft day drama.

Thus ends one of the most divisive periods in team history for Bears fans as they constantly feuded on social media over Fields' abilities and who would be the quarterback next season.

If you truly love the Bears, how can you not be excited for the new era that’s about to begin?! The goal should always be to build a team that can sustain success. They’re on the precipice of being able to start doing that.

— Zach Zaidman (@ZachZaidman) March 16, 2024

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven