It seems the Philadelphia Eagles looked at another signal-caller who was made available before of the 2024 NFL draft before acquiring quarterback Kenny Pickett from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Prior to signing Pickett, the Eagles had talks with the Chicago Bears over a Justin Fields trade, according to a report from ESPN’s Dan Graziano on SportsCenter on Friday. Graziano said,
“The Eagles, from what I understand talking to sources around the league, were one of the teams that had talked to the Bears about Justin Fields, but obviously could not get to the point where they agreed on a price, so they traded for Pickett,”
Fields would have been able to learn from two-time Pro Bowler Jalen Hurts as his backup, which would have made the Eagles an appealing destination for him.
Would Justin Fields been a good match for Eagles ?
Despite the fact that Hurts is the superior quarterback, Fields might have easily transitioned into Philadelphia’s scheme in the event of an injury because of their similar playing styles.
On Friday, the Steelers traded a 2024 third-round pick (No. 98) and two 2025 seventh-round picks to the Eagles in exchange for Pickett and a 2024 fourth-round pick (No. 120).
According to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Russell Wilson was released by the Denver Broncos this week, and Pittsburgh chose to move Pickett because he “was poorly handling” his presence.
The talk of the offseason has undoubtedly been about Fields’ future in Chicago, as the Bears, who own the first overall pick in the spring draft, are likely to choose USC quarterback and 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams.
While the Bears have been looking for a trade partner for Fields, a number of teams that are in need of a quarterback have already taken care of their own needs at the position. For instance, Wilson was signed by the Steelers, and Kirk Cousins was signed by the Atlanta Falcons.
It’s unknown when Fields might be transferred at this time because the market for him is “extremely lukewarm,” according to Graziano.