Highlights
- Justin Fields recalls feeling relieved about the trade and commended Bears GM Ryan Poles’ communication skills.
- The Bears traded Fields to Pittsburgh as a favor, accepting a lower offer than other teams made.
- Fields aims to compete with Russell Wilson for the starting QB job in Pittsburgh.
It was only a matter of time before Justin Fields was shipped off this offseason, as it was clear the Chicago Bears were ready to move forward with Caleb Williams.
Back in March, Fields was on vacation in Italy when he got the call that he was being traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Steelers of course, have also undergone a facelift on offense, having traded Kenny Pickett to Philadelphia and letting Mason Rudolph walk in free agency, replacing them with Fields, via trade, and signing Russell Wilson after the Broncos cut him.
Fields finally gave his recollection and thoughts on the trade on Tuesday. Per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor, Fields said there was a sense of ‘relief’ upon hearing the news that he’d been traded.
We were in the same situation last year with having the No. 1 pick, and it was just a little bit different this year. I’m not naive to the fact that — I can read body language and stuff like that. It wasn’t really just a shock to where it’s like, ‘Oh, I got traded.’ I knew what was going to happen beforehand. So I’m just glad I got traded to the spot that I wanted to be at.
Fields was selected by the Bears in the first round of the 2021 draft and played for three seasons in Chicago. With the Bears landing the no.1 overall pick, thanks to a 2023 pre-draft trade with Carolina, it made sense for the Bears to start fresh at quarterback and revamp the look of their offense.
Now, Fields gets to turn the page with a fresh start in Pittsburgh.
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The Bears Wanted ‘to do Right’ by Fields
Bears GM Ryan Poles reportedly took a lower offer to send Fields to Pittsburgh
While it was certainly understandable for the Bears not wanting to pass up on a generational prospect like Caleb Williams, it’s fair to say that Fields didn’t get a lot of time in Chicago to develop.
That’s why Bears GM Ryan Poles wanted to set Fields up for success in his next stop, even if it meant accepting a lower offer so Fields could go to a well-run organization.
The Steelers of course, sent merely a conditional sixth-round pick to Chicago to land Fields (which can turn into a fourth-rounder, depending on how much Fields plays in 2024). Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Fields expressed his grattitude to Poles for sending him to Pittsburgh.
Shoutout to Poles, we communicated to him through my agent, and I told him where I wanted to be and this was a place I wanted to be. He honored that, and I appreciate him for that and glad he was able to put me in a spot where I wanted to be at.
While Fields is well aware that the Steelers intend on starting Russell Wilson in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons, he intends on competing to take Wilson’s presumed starting job.
Fields added that him and Wilson are well aware that they’ll be in competition throughout the offseason, but they’ll also remain great teammates.
I definitely don’t have the mindset of me just sitting all year. I’m coming in every day giving it all I got and pushing him to be his best, and he’s pushing me to be my best each and every day.
Fields and Wilson will definitely both be aiming to prove that they are starters in the NFL.
For Fields, it will be to prove that he’s the long-term solution for the Steelers. For Wilson, it will be about proving that his time in Denver is not indicative of how many years he has left as a starting quarterback.
Whatever role Fields finds himself in, whether he remains a backup, overtakes Wilson for the starting job, or excels as a kick returner, the Steelers will be a very interesting team to follow.
Finishing 10-7 last year with a playoff berth, despite their offensive struggles, any improvement at quarterback, coupled with a solid defense, will serve them well in 2024.
Source: ESPN
All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference, unless stated otherwise
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