Justin Fields Expected to Have Company

One former NFL executive sees no fifth-year option for the Bears QB, but he definitely will not be the only 2021 first-round QB to meet this fate.

It wasn't surprising when Bears GM Ryan Poles failed to answer whether he has decided to pick up the fifth-year option for Justin Fields' contract.

For one, he doesn't need to know this until May. It's also very possible it won't be a decision for the Bears to make if they trade Fields.

"Like I said, we've got time before we've got to do that, so there's a lot of phases there, and we'll make the best decision," was Poles' response.

NFL Network's Marc Ross, the former Giants executive, made his own judgments on NFL fifth-year options this year and like almost everyone is anticipating Fields hasn't done enough to get the Bears to pick his up even if they do keep him this season.

"Fields has shown his dominance as a runner—rushing for 2,220 yards and 14 TDs over three seasons, including 1,143 yards in 2022—and improvement as a passer, but not enough to keep him in the Windy City," Ross said. "He’ll be the guy somewhere, and it’s likely that whichever team trades for Fields will work out a new contract with him."

The most interesting part of Ross' article is how he believes only the first of the five quarterbacks chosen in Round 1 that year should have his fifth-year option picked up. It was supposed to be the QB class of the decade or longer and Trevor Lawrence is the only one of the five—Lawrence, Trey Lance, Zach Wilson, Fields and Mac Jones—who is viewed as worthy of getting the end of the rookie deal guaranteed.

Of the 32 first-round players in that draft, Ross determines only 10 should not get their options picked up. 

Fields' fifth-year option is worth $23.3 million and according to Overthecap.com, the Bears will need to take a dead cap hit of $2.77 million if they do trade him. However, their cap savings would be $3.22 million if they traded him and got his cash off their books.

Fields has a $6.05 million cap number for 2024.

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