Why the Bears traded Justin Fields to the Steelers

CHICAGO — Chicago Bears basic supervisor Ryan Poles was the Chiefs’ director of school scouting in 2017 when Kansas Metropolis drafted quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who sat for a 12 months and discovered behind veteran starter Alex Smith. Poles is aware of that dynamic may work.

However that is not what he was going through with the Bears.

As an alternative of getting a confirmed starter like Smith, the Bears had Justin Fields getting into his fourth season with questions on his growth. Including a No. 1 decide like USC quarterback Caleb Williams to the combination, even only for offseason exercises and coaching camp, might need made the scenario untenable, or a minimum of awkward for each gamers. With a number of Bears gamers just lately voicing robust assist for Fields, the potential for locker room discord needed to be thought-about.

Poles prevented that situation by buying and selling Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night time for a 2025 sixth-round decide, which converts to a fourth-rounder if Fields performs 51% of the offensive snaps this season.

“You simply cannot [have both on the roster],” an NFL assistant coach informed ESPN previous to the commerce. “The league referred to as Chicago’s bluff, and received.

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“They don’t seem to be getting something for [Fields], and simply have to let him go.”

Clearly, it wasn’t the compensation Poles initially sought. A supply with data of the crew’s plans informed ESPN the Bears had initially eyed a Day 2 draft choice plus a late conditional 2025 decide. Six groups, together with Pittsburgh, got here with quite a lot of gives, with most envisioning Fields as a backup.

By a flurry of QB exercise, Fields’ market was shrinking. After being unable to maneuver Fields earlier than the beginning of free company, a number of NFL entrance workplace sources informed ESPN they believed Chicago’s finest likelihood to get the compensation it desired — or near it — can be if a crew missed out on the quarterback it hoped to draft in April.

Poles additionally may have waited till the start of the season, and when a beginning quarterback obtained injured, engaged that crew in commerce talks.

However when Poles stated in the course of the mix in February he needed to “do proper” by Fields, that meant not subjecting him to a chronic interval earlier than he was dealt. It additionally meant not dealing him to a crew that had a younger beginning quarterback, and the Steelers match that standards after signing Russell Wilson to a one-year deal.

“We have now engaged in a number of commerce conversations in current weeks and imagine buying and selling Justin at the moment to Pittsburgh is what’s finest for each Justin and the Bears,” Poles stated in an announcement. “… We spoke to Justin to tell him of the commerce and the rationale behind it for us as a membership.

“We wish to thank him for his tireless dedication, management and all he poured into our franchise and group the final three years and want him one of the best in the direction of an extended and profitable NFL profession.”

In a social media put up Saturday, Fields thanked the Bears and the town of Chicago “for permitting me the chance to be a part of such a historic franchise.”

It meant rather a lot to Poles to have the ability to half methods with Fields, who was drafted by GM Ryan Tempo in 2021, on good phrases. That will not have been the case if he saved Fields and drafted Williams.

Plus, Poles needed to place his new quarterback in one of the best place to succeed, and as he mentioned on the mix, there are a variety of elements to contemplate.

“What is the infrastructure appear like?” he stated. “What’s across the participant? I feel that is key.”

In Chicago, what’s across the rookie quarterback the Bears will draft is a roster that is able to compete.

Lately acquired vast receiver Keenan Allen joins vast receiver DJ Moore as the one teammates within the NFL who had a minimum of 90 receptions and 1,200 yards in 2023. The Bears upgraded their backfield with D’Andre Swift, added Gerald Everett to the tight finish room and are enhancing alongside the offensive line after including two inside linemen who may improve the middle place: Ryan Bates and Coleman Shelton. Chicago’s younger protection is loaded with expertise from defensive finish Montez Sweat to cornerback Jaylon Johnson and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds.

Establishing a clear-cut function for his or her soon-to-be-new QB1 separated Poles from the way in which the group operated previously, like when the crew traded as much as draft Fields, sandwiching him between two veteran quarterbacks — Andy Dalton and Nick Foles — who weren’t eager on ceding their jobs to a rookie.

There will not be any suspense about who the Bears’ beginning quarterback will probably be after the primary spherical of the draft on April 25. The one query is how a lot of an improve will he be over Fields.