After three seasons in the Windy City, the Chicago Bears have completed a trade to send quarterback Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Fields, a former first-round pick, spent the entirety of his career with the Bears.
Bears are trading Justin Fields for a 2025 6th-round pick that goes to a 4th-round pick based on playtime, per sources. pic.twitter.com/E7JY7K60Wn
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 16, 2024
Chicago Bears, Pittsburgh Steelers, Agree to Justin Fields Trade
The Bears were destined to trade Justin Fields ever since they secured the first-overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. After finishing with a 3-14 record in 2022, the Bears secured the first-overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Rather than choosing between Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud, Chicago decided to stick with Justin Fields and trade the pick to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for their first-round pick in 2024, among other things. This proved to be a masterful move, as Carolina finished the 2023 season with the worst record in football. Now free to select USC’s Caleb Williams, the Bears decided to part ways with Fields.
Even though the Bears decided to roll with Williams, Justin Fields has proven himself to be a solid NFL quarterback. Since entering the league, the Ohio State product has completed 60.3% of his passes for 6,674 yards (7.0 yards per attempt), 40 touchdowns, and 30 interceptions. While those numbers don’t jump off the page, he’s also added an additional 2,220 yards and 14 touchdowns on 356 rushing attempts (6.2 yards per attempt).
Justin Fields has done all this despite not playing in the most quarterback-friendly environment. Originally expected to sit behind Andy Dalton, Fields earned the starting job early in his rookie season and never looked back. While there were some growing pains, the Ohio State product played well while targeting an aging Allen Robinson and an untested Darnell Mooney.
Robinson departed in free agency and the Bears didn’t find a true replacement until 2023. Once Justin Fields got a real wide receiver in the DJ Moore trade, he responded with the best season of his career.
Main Photo: Tork Mason – USA Today Sports
