Odds are, Chicago Bears QB Justin Fields will be playing elsewhere in 2024, traded sometime over the next several weeks. Right now, the trade waters are mostly calm. After speaking to the general media Tuesday morning, Bears GM Ryan Poles told NFL Network’s Stacey Dales that there are no serious trade offers for Fields right now.
“Nothing right now,” he said via NFL Network’s The Insiders. “I know some people have kind of touched base with different parts of my team. Just testing the waters, seeing what’s going on. But no serious conversations have happened right now.”
It’s a contrast to what Poles said earlier in the day, noting his phone was ringing off the hook in trade talk. Could that mean more interest for their draft picks or something else?
Holding the top pick in the draft, the Bears are expected to take USC quarterback Caleb Williams. But the NFL Scouting Combine serves as a crucial step for the organization to chart its course heading into free agency. The chance to speak with Williams, evaluate him medically, and a time to be around the other 31 clubs that could heat up trade discussions. Chicago also holds the ninth pick, its original pick, acquiring the top spot in a deal with Carolina last season.
If the Bears come away from this week confident Williams will be their pick, then a Justin Fields trade could materialize in short order. Earlier today, Poles said the franchise wants to do right by Fields, giving him an answer as soon as possible.
“No one wants to live in gray,” he said via the Bears’ YouTube channel. “I know that’s uncomfortable. I wouldn’t want to be in that situation either. We’ll gather the information. We will move as quickly as possible.”
Poles told the media scrum in the morning that ideally a decision and potential trade is hammered out prior to free agency. But until there are serious trade talks, it’s hard to say when a deal could materialize. It’s unknown if Pittsburgh’s been one of those teams checking in. From due diligence alone, it’s possible.
But there’s a big difference between calling an assistant general manager versus making a serious offer to present to Poles. And there’s still no indication the Steelers will make a serious run at Fields. But his situation is still worth monitoring to know when the discussion can wrap up about whether Fields is coming to Pittsburgh or, more likely, going somewhere else.
