Bear Digest

Justin Fields Suitors Look a Bit More Likely

Some reports around the league suggest teams pursuing other options might eventually come to Justin Fields.

Gene Chamberlain

Justin Fields Suitors Look a Bit More Likely
Justin Fields Suitors Look a Bit More Likely /
In this story:

The quarterback market remains unchanged for Justin Fields, although it's possible to see cracks developing in the wall.

Either way, it seems to add up to a longer wait as Fields lives "in the gray."

The Steelers cannot be ruled out as a landing spot for the Bears QB if they trade him because Russell Wilson made his visit to Pittsburgh after talking to the Giants, and he didn't come away with a reported agreement. Wilson actually is under contract until he is officially released by the Broncos and that's supposed to come Wednesday at 3 p.m. with the start of a new league year.

Still, some type of word usually gets out from agents about these types of meetings if an agreement is reached and the fact he left Pittsburgh without this occurring could leave the Steelers as a place for Fields.

There was also a ray of light leaking through in Atlanta, which seemed earlier this week like the eventual landing site for Kirk Cousins.

The Athletic's Dianna Russini addressed the Falcons and Cousins and said of their mutual interests, "...and I think at this point right now, I'm not certain that they're lined up."

This would at least give the Vikings a shot at retaining their quarterback and leave Atlanta as a potential landing spot for Fields.

Recent projections in the draft of as many as five quarterbacks going earlier in Round 1 might make for less of a chance Fields could go to the Falcons if Cousins doesn't go there, but that's a situation which wouldn't be resolved until late April.

Other possibilities or future possibilities are being raised as potential landing spots, and those almost certainly would mean an even longer time for Fields to wait to find out his destination.

The first one is Tampa Bay. It's a thought brought up by ESPN's Matt Miller.

Baker Mayfield hasn't been given a new contract and if he leaves as a free agent, it could leave the Buccaneers in a tough spot. Considering they don't draft until 26th in Round 1. At the rate all the quarterbacks are being projected as moving up, it's possible the top six would be gone by then.

Fields could be an alternative for them. Tampa Bay doesn't pick in Round 2 until 57th and in Round 3 until 89th.

Another longer shot would be the Seattle Seahawks. With Geno Smith at quarterback, it would seem this would be a competition situation at best and the Seahawks could be in position to draft a quarterback like Michael Penix Jr. or Bo Nix. Whether all six of the QBs would be gone by No. 16 where Sattle picks seems unlikely but it also seems unlikely for some of those picks to come in and start right away.

 It's a fluid situation and when it's changing constantly the possibility of waiting until it gets beyond free agency and closer to the draft can look more inviting for a trade from the Bears' standpoint.

There is also another player coming into the market potentially in Mac Jones. Ian Rapoport reports the Patriots are open to trading their starting QB, although it seems unlikely a team would actually want to trade for Jones over Fields after the Patriots' starter saw his passer rating go down each of the last two years and at one time he was benched for Bailey Zappe.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

Published
Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

Home/News