The Chicago Bears finished their season on Sunday, and now the focus will shift quickly to determining their future path over the upcoming next few months.
Much of the uncertainty surrounds quarterback Justin Fields. Although he is ending the year with a few strong statistical games for the Bears, Fields is still at the center of attention.
The Bears could keep riding this momentum with Fields, or they could draft any of the top quarterbacks in the draft with the first pick to reset the clock on paying a quarterback and possibly ship him off.
If the Bears were to trade him, here are three teams that could look to acquire for his services.
The Steelers could pivot to a Fields-led offense
Not unlike Chicago, lots of uncertainty is looming in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Quarterback Kenny Pickett has not panned out exactly as planned. The offense has been flat under him and the offensive staff. The last time the Steelers turned to a former Bear quarterback (Mitchell Trubisky), it did not work out so well. Maybe the second time would work?
BRING HIM TO PITTSBURGH! #Steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/RfZmR5p9Dx
— Blitzburgh (@Blitz_Burgh) January 1, 2024
Fields is more of a mobile talent and has shown more of an arm than Pickett. There will be a new offensive coordinator in Pittsburgh next season after the Steelers let go of Matt Canada. If Tomlin does come back next season, as he is expected to, this offense needs to be rejuvenated in a big way. Matching an offensive quarterback with the skill set of Fields could revive a struggling offense to success.
The Steelers have George Pickens as a weapon on the outside and tight end Pat Freiermuth as a reliable inside option. There is help in the backfield with Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren. A mobile quarterback like Fields matched up with this and a well-minded coordinator could have the offense humming just as well as the defense.
The hometown Falcons definitely need a quarterback
Fields is from the Atlanta area. He went to high school there and was at one time lined up to be the quarterback of the Georgia Bulldogs before transferring to Ohio State.
It's pretty clear that 2022 third-round pick Desmond Ridder is not the answer for the Falcons at the quarterback position. The Dirty Birds could potentially have vacancies at quarterback, head coach, and coordinators as the season ends and preparation for the future begins.
The Falcons' offense as it is now could suit Fields extremely well. With electric runner Bijan Robinson in the backfield and big target tight end Kyle Pitts on the line, Fields could slip right in as exactly what the Falcons need to contend again. As he shows his ability to build chemistry with a TE like Cole Kmet currently, you can imagine the excitement fans would have seeing him link up with Pitts.
Additionally, the current construction of the Falcons' front office has plenty of ties to the Bears. Former Chicago general manager Ryan Pace is currently on staff in Atlanta as director of player personnel. He is also the one who actually drafted Fields in Chicago. He obviously thought highly enough of Fields out of college, so one would think he likes what he sees at the professional level.
A complete overhaul in Vegas?
The Las Vegas Raiders have been one of the most confusing franchises in football for quite some time now. Leadership has been hard to come by, players have come and gone, and most jobs have seemed like a revolving door.
As of late, though, interim head coach Antonio Pierce has turned the locker room around and he somehow managed to keep the Raiders in the hunt for a lot longer than anyone thought.
The Raiders are going to need to hit the restart button and figure out their next moves. There are already rumors out there they might be one of the teams interested in the Bears first overall pick, if they decide to trade it. But they could also be interested in Fields help jump start their franchise.
Fields has the attributes to be a leader in the clubhouse and a dangerous force on the field. Should the Raiders jump at the opportunity to bring him aboard, they would be starting a lot higher than ground level on their reboot.
Obviously, it would depend on who is hired in the leadership positions to determine what type of system they want to run and how they plan to build a contender, but you have to believe that Fields being available would play a big part in those conversations.