It’s not often in the sports world there’s universal love for a team’s decision. In an era of embrace debate and hot takes, there’s always a contrarian. But in the immediate reaction to the Pittsburgh Steelers trading for now-former Chicago Bears QB Justin Fields, the reception has been overwhelmingly positive. ESPN analyst Louis Riddick is the most recent to share that though, showering praise on GM Omar Khan and the Steelers for pulling off the deal.
“This is a home run for them,” Riddick said on Saturday night’s SportCenter, hours after the deal was reported. “It’s a home run for Omar Khan. It’s a home run for Mike Tomlin.”
Pittsburgh gave up little for Fields, making it a low-risk move. Terms of the deal have the Steelers sending a 2025 conditional sixth round pick to the Bears, a selection that becomes a fourth should Fields play 51 percent of Pittsburgh’s offensive snaps in 2024. Should that occur, and odds are currently against it, it’s still a Day Three pick for a quarterback who would start a majority of the season. Pennies on the dollar in a deal like that.
While Wilson is expected to be the clear and declared starter, Riddick would take it one step further and make things a true competition in Latrobe.
“Quite honestly, I think they need to open this thing wide up. Wide open to competition between Russell and Justin and let the chips fall where they may. Brilliant deal for them.”
Initially, that doesn’t seem to be the Steelers’ approach. Pittsburgh, like much of the rest of the league, view him as a backup in need of rounding out his game. But even if Fields is the team’s clear No. 2, he’ll be among the best if not the best backup in football. Should he come off the bench, his legs and mobility will change how defenses play Pittsburgh in the run and pass game. They must account for designed runs on zone reads, Fields a dynamic runner, and secondaries may play more zone to keep eyes on him in case he scrambles after dropping back.
In Riddick’s mind, getting Fields at such a cheap price was Khan playing the long game. Patience and a willingness to wait it out until the Bears just decided to get what they could get.
“[I had recently said] it would be very Pittsburgh for them to just sit back and wait and let the market play itself out. Let the market come to them because they knew in their mind that Chicago was gonna move on.”
The Bears were and are inevitably going to select USC’s Caleb Williams first overall in next month’s draft. Fields wasn’t going to return to Chicago. And Pittsburgh made other moves at quarterback, signing Russell Wilson, showing they didn’t need Fields. They did the deal on their terms, radically transforming their quarterback room for the better.
