Why Bears traded Justin Fields to the Steelers, what’s subsequent

One of many nice questions of the 2024 NFL free company interval was answered on Saturday when the Chicago Bears traded quarterback Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 2025 sixth-round draft alternative that turns into a fourth-round choose if Fields performs 51% of Pittsburgh’s snaps in 2024, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The transfer ends the previous first-round choose’s tenure with the Bears after three seasons, all however confirming Chicago will draft a quarterback — doubtless USC’s Caleb Williams — No. 1 total on April 25.

Fields joins a Steelers staff that has made quite a few QB-related headlines in current weeks, most notably its acquisition of nine-time Professional Bowler Russell Wilson and the commerce of former first-rounder Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday.

ESPN’s Courtney Cronin and Brooke Pryor present perception on the Fields commerce from each the Bears’ and Steelers’ vantage factors, together with what comes subsequent for each franchises at quarterback.

Does this take away any doubt the Bears will draft Caleb Williams?

Cronin: ​​The Bears are within the technique of finalizing their evaluations of Williams and the opposite high quarterbacks within the draft, and they’re going to arrive at a call throughout the subsequent few weeks. A large contingent from the Bears’ entrance workplace and training workers might be readily available for USC’s professional day on March 20. The staff will then host Williams on a top-30 go to to get to study extra about him as an individual.

All indicators level to Williams being the highest choose. Chicago can even formulate its contingency plan for doubtlessly buying and selling again a choose or two if its analysis leads to a prospect apart from Williams.

Williams is a prohibitive favourite at -5000 to be the No. 1 choose, per ESPN BET.

Will Fields have a possibility to win the beginning job in 2024, or is that this a long-term play for the Steelers?

Pryor: This can be a long-term play. Wilson is the staff’s beginning quarterback, a staff supply advised me. Fields is anticipated to affix him in Pittsburgh to study below a participant who has been chosen to 9 Professional Bowls and received a Tremendous Bowl. However, in fact, 66 quarterbacks began an NFL sport final season, so simply because Fields just isn’t anticipated to begin Week 1 doesn’t suggest he will not see the sector in some unspecified time in the future. In including Fields for a 2025 sixth-round choose — which turns right into a fourth if Fields performs greater than 51% of snaps in 2024 — behind Wilson, who signed a one-year deal for the league minimal, the Steelers are addressing short-term and long-term wants at quarterback with out giving up important cap house or draft capital.

Why did not it work out for Fields in Chicago?

Cronin: Regardless of flashing potential, Fields by no means definitively answered the query as as to whether he might grow to be the Bears’ franchise quarterback. His mobility was among the many greatest within the league amongst quarterbacks, however one knock towards him was holding on to the ball too lengthy, which regularly led to him being among the many most sacked QBs within the NFL. Fields (3.18) and Russell Wilson (3.02) averaged the longest and third-longest time to throw over the previous three years, respectively, per NFL Subsequent Gen Stats.

Fields is coming into his fourth season, and Chicago’s skill to begin the clock over by drafting a quarterback subsequent month is big. Had the Bears stood pat with Fields, they’d have needed to train his $25.7 million fifth-year possibility by Might 2 and begin desirous about an costly extension within the close to future.

As the primary wave of free company winds down, the Bears’ depth chart consists of new additions huge receiver Keenan Allen, operating again D’Andre Swift and tight finish Gerald Everett, together with returning veterans DJ Moore, Cole Kmet and an improved offensive line. Defensively, the Bears are in a great place with the likes of Jaylon Johnson, Montez Sweat and Tremaine Edmunds. The Bears imagine they’re able to compete and wish to shift towards a quarterback who’s the rationale they win video games.

And with Williams thought-about a generational expertise, the Bears felt it was the precise time to maneuver on from Fields.

How do Fields’ abilities translate to Arthur Smith’s offense in Pittsburgh?

Pryor: Fields’ biggest power is his mobility — he was essentially the most prolific scrambler within the NFL final season with 1,359 yards on 153 scramble performs — but in addition like Wilson, he has the talent set to be a stable quarterback utilizing play-action. He accomplished 56 of 90 makes an attempt for 718 yards with three touchdowns and 0 interceptions off play-action final season.

One in every of Smith’s high priorities is establishing a balanced offense by a powerful run sport anchored by Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, and Fields’ prowess throwing the deep ball can go a good distance towards undertaking that. In 2023, Fields threw seven landing passes concentrating on go routes, tied for fourth within the NFL, in response to NFL Subsequent Gen Stats — one thing Steelers huge receivers like George Pickens will respect. Fields additionally took loads of sacks over the previous two seasons. Wilson (100) and Fields (99) have been sacked greater than another QBs because the begin of 2022. No different QB has been sacked 80 occasions in that span, in response to ESPN Stats & Information.

What made the Bears determine this was one of the best provide they might get?

Cronin: The Bears had hoped to land a Day 2 choose within the 2024 draft coupled with a 2025 choose that had the potential to escalate heading into the mix in Indianapolis in late February, a supply with information of the staff’s plans advised ESPN. The parameters of the commerce that despatched former New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold to the Carolina Panthers (a 2021 sixth-round choose plus second- and fourth-round picks in 2022) was what Chicago had hoped to mannequin its Fields commerce after. However as potential locations shortly got here off the board with Russell Wilson signing with Pittsburgh, Kirk Cousins with Atlanta and Baker Mayfield staying in Tampa, the Bears needed to modify the kind of return they had been hoping to obtain.

A supply advised ESPN that 5 groups along with Pittsburgh reached out to Chicago, and the vast majority of these groups had envisioned the previous first-round choose in a backup function. Moreover, the Steelers had been in talks with the Bears all through the week of free company and reached out once more after sending Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday. The Bears had an extra provide with stronger draft capital from a staff with a longtime starter, per a supply, however selected to ship Fields to Pittsburgh with the hope of placing the 25-year-old ready to proceed his improvement — first as a backup to Wilson and ultimately as a starter.

In Indianapolis, Bears GM Ryan Poles stated he wished to “do proper” by Fields, which included not maintaining him on a staff with a rookie and discovering a spot the place he might proceed creating. In Pittsburgh, Fields can have that probability.