Out of all the quarterback draft prospects over the past few years, USC’s Caleb Williams has commanded just as much, if not more, hype than anyone. The Carolina Panthers had the worst record in the NFL last season, but they had traded their pick to the Chicago Bears, making the Bears the “winner” of the Caleb Williams sweepstakes.
With a strong finish, the Bears quietly went a respectable 7-10 last season, making them one of the most talented teams to add a number-one pick in recent memory. They did this even while missing their starting quarterback, Justin Fields, for four games, and being forced to go with the unproved Tyson Bagent. Their top billing came thanks to the Carolina Panthers, who traded their 2024 first round pick in 2023 to acquire Bryce Young.
As soon as it was official that the Bears were getting the No. 1 pick, the storylines began. Fields had shown some flashes of improvement, but could the franchise possibly pass up Caleb Williams? There was some talk about trading the pick for a king’s ransom and building around the budding Fields, but that did not come to fruition. It just seemed like Fields got unlucky to an extent, having an improved year and only getting replaced because the team had made a savvy trade with the Panthers.
However, as we have moved through the offseason, it appears that may not be the case. NFL reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala was on 93.7 The Fan today, pushing back when asked if Fields would be a Bear had Chicago not had the No. 1 pick.
“I’m just going to say a ‘maybe’ on that because my reporting is such and my conversation is such that Chicago had made the decision that he is not their franchise quarterback. And he is not the guy to lead them to the promised land,” Kinkhabwala said.
“And that doesn’t mean that he can’t do it somewhere else,” Kinkhabwala added. “We have seen that plenty in the NFL. Look at Jared Goff, who the Rams moved on from and the Lions love in every way. So there’s nothing to say that Justin Fields, Russell Wilson, or whoever can’t write a different chapter, a different story.”
If you zoom out a bit on the league, this report makes a lot of sense. Yes, Fields had his flashes and his big fantasy performances, but he ultimately was a guy who led his team to a 10-28 record in Chicago. Far from great. And there were times last season when he and the offense struggled to find their footing, seemingly not on the same page with the coaching staff’s game plan.
But his physical tools should supersede at least some of that, you would think. It seems like a guy as talented as Fields should have some major value in the NFL.
When it was first reported that he was on the trade block, it seemed like a no-brainer that a team would, and should, give up a second-rounder for him. But his market was far cooler and return much lighter than expected. I think it’s time to realize that the league has not valued Justin Fields the same way the media and the fans do.
