Dianna Russini of The Athletic spoke with multiple league sources who believe the Bears are attempting to move on from QB Justin Fields this offseason.
Chicago is widely expected to take Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick.
Russini mentions that while there has been suspicion that Williams was not interested in playing for the Bears, the team was pleased to hear his recent comments about being in Chicago if selected No. 1 overall.
Bears GM Ryan Poles said at the Combine that they would like to “do right” by Fields and not keep him in the “gray area.” However, Russini says Chicago may have to wait a bit for Fields’ market to really develop.
She mentions that veteran free agents like Kirk Cousins and Baker Mayfield may need to sign before serious discussions regarding a Fields trade pickup.
Beyond that, Russini shares that “it appears his market is soft for now” and it was “hard to find strong interest from any team.”
Tyler Dragon previously reported that the Falcons, Raiders and Steelers have expressed at least some degree of interest in possibly trading for Fields.
Our Ethan Woodie looked at some potential landing spots that would make sense for Fields. Atlanta, Las Vegas and Pittsburgh were all mentioned.
It’s worth noting the Bears will need to decide on Fields’ fifth-year option by this coming May, which would guarantee him $21.978 million in 2025.
Fields, 24, was selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Bears. Chicago traded up to No. 15 overall with the Giants to get Fields and parted with their 2022 first-round pick in the process.
He signed a four-year rookie deal worth $18,871,956 with a signing bonus of $11,085,059. The Bears will have a fifth-year option to pick up on him in 2024 worth $21.978 million guaranteed for the 2025 season.
In 2023, Fields appeared in 13 games for the Bears and completed 61.4 percent of his pass attempts for 2,562 yards, 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also rushed 124 times for 657 yards and four touchdowns.
We’ll have more on the Bears and Fields as the news is available.
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