As we all know by now, the Chicago Bears are sitting in a spot they never have in franchise history. While they have quarterback Justin Fields under contract for at least one more season (barring an opt-in to his 5th year option), they also have the rights to the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft (thanks to the Carolina Panthers).
After general manager Ryan Poles decided to stick with head coach Matt Eberflus, they relieved offensive coordinator Luke Getsy of his duties. They hired former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron as his replacement. Now, as they fill out the staff, they'll begin to form a decision on the quarterback position.
The Bears will more than likely hold their cards close to their chest as to what they plan to do as close to draft night as possible as they field (no pun intended) interest for their surplus of assets. Will they keep Fields and trade the pick, trade Fields and keep the pick, or (least likely) keep Fields and the pick? We'll know by draft night, for sure. But probably not much sooner than that.
Let's say the Bears decide to move on from Fields and draft a quarterback 1st overall. The chances are high they can acquire a great return on a Fields trade with another team based on the glimpses of production we've seen, but mostly for his potential. Here is who we are keeping our eyes on as the best suitors for Fields in a trade.
Best: Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers have made it known they are committed to Mike Tomlin as the head coach, as they should be. Tomlin, despite many hurdles, has never coached the Steelers to a losing season in his 17 seasons as head coach - a remarkable feat.
But the Steelers have so many questions on the offensive side of the ball. Not only are they searching for a new offensive coordinator after firing Matt Canada, but it is also much believed their confidence in the quarterback room is waning.
Fields has more overall talent than current starting quarterback Kenny Pickett. The Steelers also have a great lineup of weapons that includes wide receiver George Pickens and tight end Pat Freiermuth. Field's mobility is already tops in the league at quarterback. If he entered into an offense that would truly let him show off as a dual-threat quarterback, he could turn that offense right around.
Should the Steelers figure things out on offense, they can take more stress off one of the top defenses in the league. In one of the most competitive divisions in football, we could continue to see Tomlin rack up even more winning seasons - and maybe deeper playoff runs.
Best: Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons fired head coach Arthur Smith and hired Raheem Morris as his replacement. After serving as the Falcons defensive coordinator and interim head coach in 2020, he served as the Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator for 3 seasons.
It's an interesting move that the Falcons not only went defensive in such an offensive boom in the league, but they also chose Morris over 6-time Super Bowl winning coach Bill Belichick. Nonetheless, they're obviously familiar with Morris and believe in what he preached in interviews, so here we are.
Now, the Falcons desperately need to address their quarterback situation. Desmond Ridder, Taylor Heinicke, and a combination of the two was not the answer in 2023-24. And while they do sit with the 8th overall pick and are well in range to draft a replacement this year, a trade is not out of the question.
Fields is from the Atlanta area and was once in line to be the starter for the Georgia Bulldogs before transferring to Ohio State. The man who drafted Fields in Chicago, Ryan Pace, currently serves as the Falcons' director of player personnel. Stars could be aligning, and some believe the Falcons are willing to pay a hefty price for Fields.
Best: New England Patriots
It's a new era of football in Foxboro, Massachusetts. Tom Brady is now a year removed from the league and the New England Patriots have parted ways with Belichick. Jerod Mayo is taking over as they look to start anew.
The quarterback position will be changing, too. Much like the Falcons situation, having two quarterbacks means you have zero quarterbacks. As impossible as the task was, Mac Jones did not succeed as Brady's replacement. But he may not have looked good replacing anyone. And as admirable of an effort Bailey Zappe had, he didn't not answer the bell either.
The Patriots are in an interesting position. They have the 3rd overall pick in the draft, well within range of drafting a top quarterback prospect. But Fields makes a whole lot of sense for them, too. Plus, the Bears may be interested in the 3rd pick for wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., especially if they're moving on from Fields.
So, to play draft genie, The Bears trading the 9th overall pick and Fields for the 3rd and some later draft picks might be a fair trade on the table that would suit all parties involved. This might also be the best-case scenario for Chicago.
Worst: Las Vegas Raiders
As much as Chicago fans feel their franchise is dysfunctional, the Las Vegas Raiders might be more of a mess than anyone - from ownership down to play on the field. After an abysmal run with Josh McDaniels as their head coach (which everyone outside of the Raiders organization saw coming), they turn to Antonio Pierce to right the ship.
But there is still so much to fix with this organization. The defense started to find their way towards the end of the season, but the offense was non-existent for most of the campaign. One of the biggest messes is the quarterback room. Last season, we saw starts from Jimmy Garoppolo, Brian Hoyer, and Aidan O'Connell. None of the three, from what we saw, should be considered as a long-term solution.
While Fields would vastly improve the rating of the offense and would now provide a cheap veteran option this franchise desperately needs, you'd have to believe he would be a placeholder for a franchise who has a lot to build and develop before competing again. It would not be the best move for Field's career, but the Raiders do have draft capital available to make the move to obtain him.
Worst: Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings were handed the worst of luck from the football powers that have been in the last couple seasons. The most recent happened this past year. Just as it seemed they were starting to iron out their wrinkles, starting quarterback Kirk Cousins tore an ACL, ending his season.
Now Cousins is a free agent and may be looking for an opportunity elsewhere, leaving the Vikings without a long-term plan at quarterback. They also are in the middle of the draft pack, out of the running for one of the top prospects.
Should Cousins indeed move on, they're going to need someone. Certainly, the Bears are smart enough to know that trading Fields to Minnesota would be a disaster for them. Paired with wide receiver Justin Jefferson, you can believe head coach Kevin O'Connell would be salivating while drawing up the plays he could run with that duo.
This would be a dream for Fields, too. Not only would he be dropped into an offense ready to potentially take off, but he could also stick it to the franchise that tried to ruin him two times a year.
This might be worse than Jordan Love figuring it out in Green Bay, honestly.
More Chicago Bears news and rumors: