This offseason, the Chicago Bears must make a tough choice: should they retain quarterback Justin Fields?
The 2021 first-round selection appears to be the rising star that Chicago saw in him when they selected him three years ago, and he is playing the finest football of his career. Usually, it’s simple to stick with and develop around a quarterback of Fields’ caliber.
However, the Bears also possess the top overall pick in this year’s draft, thanks to the Carolina Panthers’ acquisition of Bryce Young from last year.
Chicago could select a quarterback with the choice, such as Caleb Williams of USC or Drake Maye of North Carolina, and sign them to a cheap rookie contract that would last for at least four years.
What might the Bears get in exchange for the Ohio State player if they decide to trade Fields? Executives from throughout the league, according to ESPN‘s Jeremy Fowler and Courtney Cronin, think the third-year quarterback would be worth a second or third-round draft pick:
“The consensus in an informal poll of league evaluators is that Fields would be worth a second- or third-round pick in a pre-draft trade. When compared to former top-10 picks recently traded, that’s better than Trey Lance, whom Dallas acquired from San Francisco for a fourth-round pick, but slightly worse than Sam Darnold, who, along with a sixth-round pick, went from the Jets to Carolina for second- and fourth-rounders.”
Fields has significant playing experience, in contrast to Trey Lance (four career starts). Fields, in contrast to Darnold (21-34-0 as a starter), has displayed signs of becoming into a future superstar.
Justin Fields was in playmaker mode on Sunday 🕹️ pic.twitter.com/wjgDG7TWTW
— NFL (@NFL) January 2, 2024
Should the Bears want to trade Fields and choose a different quarterback with the first pick, then a second or third-round pick seems appropriate in exchange for Fields. In summary, general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus have a wide range of alternatives.
