Bear Digest

Steelers and Justin Fields: The Encore

Analysis: The rumors of Justin Fields possibly going to Pittsburgh have no sourcing yet but there is also no way anyone can deny the logic of it all.

Gene Chamberlain

Steelers and Justin Fields: The Encore
Steelers and Justin Fields: The Encore /
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It all started with the possibility Justin Fields would be headed to the Steel City to play for a coach who it's been reported favors him.

The marketplace then took Fields in strange places, even while he actually went nowhere in a colorless offseason.

It might only be appropriate if he winds up in Pittsburgh playing this year, at least at first behind the quarterback he tried to emulate, Russell Wilson. There is plenty of momentum in this direction, even if there are no actual reports it is happening. 

It would be ideal.

After all, it was just three years ago and what now seems like an eternity when he told Chicago media a day after being drafted that he tried to pattern his play after Wilson, the new Steelers starter.

"I would say when I was younger, like maybe eighth, ninth grade, it was more Cam Newton," Fields said a day after he was drafted. "But I would say these past couple years I've kind of turned more to a Russell Wilson-type quarterback.

"I've watched a lot of film on him. I've watched a lot of highlights on him, so I think the things that we can do on the field with both of those quarterbacks, I think we have a lot of similarities between extending plays with our legs and also having the arm talent. So I think those are a couple of guys that I kind of emulate my game after."

It all seems so perfect now after it initially seemed perfect for Fields to go to Pittsburgh.

In between there were the Atlanta overtures, the disinterest on the part of the Steelers, rumors about every place from New York and New England to Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Denver and Las Vegas.

Through it all, Fields remained with the Bears as GM Ryan Poles said he didn't want to make his QB "live in the gray," uncertain about his future. 

He's still in the gray.

Is it possible it's all back to Square One now and he'd live in the black and yellow?

The Steelers had Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph, then brought in Wilson and they claimed to be set at QB. It all led to the concern Fields wouldn't even have a spot to land in a trade, and that the Bears would get nothing back in a trade.

They'll likely get very little other than the satisfaction Fields would have a home in the NFL and Pittsburgh would be perfect as an AFC team the Bears very rarely face.

On Friday, the Steelers dealt away their 2022 first-round draft pick, Pickett, to Philadelphia after Rudolph had already signed a free agent contract with Tennessee.

Suddenly there is room in Pittsburgh again.

This time it's unlikely to be at the return on the trade the Bears would have once hoped, but at least it's somewhere to trade him once they get back results of Caleb Williams' physical after his USC pro day March 20 and top-30 visit to Halas Hall.

The Steelers brought in Wilson to be the starter and not to compete for his job, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

This wouldn't bother the Bears. They wouldn't care if the Steelers have already said Russell is starter. If he's the starter, he's the starter. 

This is about Fields being an inexpensive backup with 38 games of starting experience. Sure, it might only be for oene season but that would be up to Pittsburgh.

Wilson hasn't played at a starter's level for the past three seasons so Fields might even have a chance to supplant him if both keep moving in the directions they were trending last year. Fields was drastically improved at the end of the season. 

Even if Wilson stepped up and finished up his career with a fury, they'd have a capable backup who can be an explosive runner and big-play passer. They would have a year to watch him and see if he's worth keeping instead of Wilson.

The Steelers would be paying less for Fields this year than some of the backup QBs already signed elsewhere. Jacoby Brissett got $8 million a year. Fields is only carrying a cap cost of $6 million for this year, which is what Marcus Mariota got to be a backup for the Commanders.

Fields would be a steal for one year as a backup. His fifth-year option wouldn't be picked up, the Steelers could negotiate the 2025 deal if they felt he could start.

It's a much better option than either Picket or Rudolph would have been.

There is a bit of symmetry involved, as well. 

ESPN's Dan Graziano and Courtney Cronin reported Friday that the Eagles were trying to swing a trade for Fields to back up Jalen Hurts but couldn't get it done.

Instead, they moved on to Pickett for a third-round pick,  two seventh-round picks, and also got a fourth-rounder from the Steelers.

Fields should be worth more than Pickett, considering his greater experience and athletic ability.

Because Wilson is coming to the Steelers after already getting paid guaranteed money from Denver, he's only costing them $1.2 million this year. So cash wouldn't be a Steelers concern at the position. The Steelers would have Wilson and Fields for $7.2 million this season, one very low amount for any team at that position.

It would be worth the Bears pursuing this, but they have a quarterback to look at before they decide to complete anything with Fields.

It would be a neat way to tie up this one big loose end for the Bears, although it definitely wouldn't net them the type of return on investment they would have once expected.

Then again, quarterbacks who go 10-28 as starters normally don't bring back a stack of draft picks in return.

Bears fans who support Fields will always point out he never had the proper backing and the horrible win-loss record is irrelevant. 

It isn't, though, as long as the marketplace says so.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

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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.

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