Justin Fields Gets Traded for Second Time This Season in New Proposed Deal

The NFL world was caught by surprise when the Pittsburgh Steelers announced that QB Justin Fields was demoted in favor of Russell Wilson despite a 4-2 start. Head coach Mike Tomlin's decision to bench Fields while the team was playing well was heavily criticized. In Week 7, the Steelers blew out the New York Jets, proving Tomlin right at least for now.

This naturally caused speculation about whether the Steelers would choose to move on from Fields. In fact, The Athletic's Mike Jones and Jeff Howe proposed a trade scenario in which Fields gets moved before the November 5 trade deadline. Fields gets traded to the Miami Dolphins for a 2025 fourth-round pick in this potential deal.

NFL Rumors: Justin Fields Traded to the Dolphins in Mock Proposal

On paper, trading Fields makes some sense. The 25-year-old rehabbed his trade value and the Steelers would almost certainly get more for him now than the sixth-round pick (becomes a fourth-rounder if Fields plays 51% of the team's snaps) they gave up in the offseason. Plus, his fifth-year option was declined, setting him up to be a free agent after the season.

Instead of paying Fields a lucrative, long-term deal, the Steelers could choose to recoup some trade value in return.

On the other hand, this would be a very risky move. Russell Wilson is 35 years old and way past his prime. There should be concerns about potential injuries and further age-related decline. There is a decent chance that Fields will be a better quarterback in this league for the next couple of years.

For the Dolphins, this would be a great flyer on a talented, young quarterback. The Dolphins don't have a backup option for Tua Tagovailoa and bringing Fields in as their long-term plan at QB would be a smart strategy.

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