April 8, 2026 9:13 PM PDT
Chicago rolled with Justin Fields as its starting quarterback last season despite having the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, which it wound up trading to Carolina. Because of that deal, the Bears have the No. 1 pick again this season, but it's not clear if they will stave off the temptation to take a quarterback No. 1 overall for a second consecutive offseason.Last year's deal for the top pick allowed the Bears to move down to the No. 9 slot in exchange for WR DJ Moore and draft a sets, including the Panthers' first-round pick in 2024. Meanwhile, the Panthers moved up to select Bryce Young atop the draft.Young's first season in Carolina was disastrous. The Panthers fired Frank Reich midway through his first season as the team's head coach, as Carolina's offense floundered. Carolina wound up finishing 2-15 and gifting Chicago the No. 1 overall pick.Since then, the question has been whether the Bears would roll with Fields again or use the top selection on Caleb Williams, who is viewed as a generational quarterback prospect.Many a sume that the Bears will go with Williams to gain the full benefits of having a stud quarterback on a rookie contract. That isn't set in stone, but Fields is the subject of trade rumors because of these rumblings.The latest rumors suggest that Fields may be a fit for the Steelers as they try to figure out their unsettled quarterback situation.Here's the latest chatter surrounding Fields as the 2024 NFL offseason gets into full swing.MORE:|Justin Fields trade rumorsThe latest Justin Fields rumors are increasingly tying him to the Steelers as a potential candidate for their quarterback job.The Steelers are looking for a quarterback to compete with Kenny Pickett, as Mike Tomlin detailed at his end-of-season news conference.It appears that one such quarterback Josh Hall Jersey that may interest Tomlin is Fields, as noted by Monday."Mike Tomlin is a big fan of Justin Fields," Schefter said. "We'll keep that in mind during the offseason and the coming weeks."Fields wasn't the only quarterback Schefter listed as an option for the Steelers. He also brought up Ryan Tannehill, who played for Pittsburgh's new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith in Tenne see, and Ru sell Wilson.Fields would check a lot of the boxes that Tomlin is looking for in a quarterback. Notably, he could provide the Steelers with the type of explosive playmaking that Tomlin said was absent from their offense last season."I want us to be versatile and dynamic," at his year-end news conference. "Obviously, we've got to score more points. I want to be able to keep defenses off balance. I want to utilize all the talent that we have at our disposal. I'm excited about this proce s, and in the talent pool out there, and based on what I've seen thus far."I'm really open to learning through this proce s and seeing what people have to say about their visions, and so I certainly have a vision of what it looks like but I'm open to learning through this proce s."The buzz surrounding Fields and the Steelers has caused the odds of him landing in Pittsburgh to shorten significantly. Fields began the offseason listed at +550 to be a Steeler, per Pro Football Focus. Now, his odds sit at -125.Justin Fields to the Steelers is heating up PFF Fantasy & Betting (@PFF_Fantasy) Those -125 odds imply that there's a better than 50-percent chance that Fields will join the Steelers (55.56 percent to be exact). That's a marked change from the 15.38-percent implied probability at the beginning of the offseason.It's easy to understand why many believe Fields will end up with the Steelers this offseason, but it's certainly not a foregone conclusion. There are still several other suitors who could pursue Fields, including the Falcons, Broncos, and Patriots.It also remains po sible that the Bears could keep Fields even if they are planning to draft Williams, as Schefter reported on ESPN's "Get Up" Tuesday.. says the Bears have talked about keeping Justin Fields and taking Caleb Williams in the NFL draft.Could you see it happening? Get Up (@GetUpESPN) Either way, there is plenty of time for the Bears to gauge the market and see who is willing to pay the price for Fields. That well may be the Steelers, but nothing is yet set in stone.IYER: Justin Fields statsFields set career highs in completion percentage (61.4%), pa sing yards (2,562), and pa ser rating (86.3) last season.Fields still has warts as a pa ser and needs to continue to improve his accuracy, but he will only be 25 in March. It's easy to understand why teams might have an interest in trying to tap into his upside.Fields is also a dynamic scrambler who generated a whopping 1,143 rushing yards during the 2022 NFL season. Any team interested in him would use his legs to further unlock their running game.Below is a look at Fields' stats by season as a pa ser: Year Record Comp. % Yards TDs INTs Y/A Rating 2021 2-8 58.9 1,870 7 10 6.9 73.2 2022 3-12 60.4 2,242 17 11 7.1 85.2 2023 5-8 61.4 2,562 16 9 6.9 86.3 Total 10-28 60.3 6,674 40 30 7.0 82.3Here are his rushing numbers: Year Attempts Yards TDs Y/A 2021 72 420 2 5.8 2022 160 1,143 8 7.1 2023 124 657 4 5.3 Total 356 2,220 14 6.2MORE: Justin Fields contractFields is entering the final year of his rookie contract. However, there is a fifth-year option attached to his deal because he was a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.As such, either the Bears or any other team that acquires him will have until May 2 to exercise that option to keep him under contract through 2025.Fields will still be relatively cheap in 2024. He carries a cap hit of just over $6 million to keep on the roster, as can be seen via a breakdown of his contract from . Year Base salary Bonuses Cap hit Dead cap 2024 $1,616,724 $4,387,989 $6,004,713 $6,004,713That's part of the reason that the Bears could consider keeping Fields. He would give them a great backup quarterback option and could begin the season as a starter if Williams needs any time to adjust to the NFL.Justin Fields fifth-year option costHowever, Fields' fifth-year option is projected to be worth just under $22 million, and it would be fully guaranteed.So, unle s the Bears are planning to keep Fields and pa s on Williams, they're likely to trade him to another team that would be willing to guarantee Fields a $22 million payday. Mike Muscala Jersey
Chicago rolled with Justin Fields as its starting quarterback last season despite having the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, which it wound up trading to Carolina. Because of that deal, the Bears have the No. 1 pick again this season, but it's not clear if they will stave off the temptation to take a quarterback No. 1 overall for a second consecutive offseason.Last year's deal for the top pick allowed the Bears to move down to the No. 9 slot in exchange for WR DJ Moore and draft a sets, including the Panthers' first-round pick in 2024. Meanwhile, the Panthers moved up to select Bryce Young atop the draft.Young's first season in Carolina was disastrous. The Panthers fired Frank Reich midway through his first season as the team's head coach, as Carolina's offense floundered. Carolina wound up finishing 2-15 and gifting Chicago the No. 1 overall pick.Since then, the question has been whether the Bears would roll with Fields again or use the top selection on Caleb Williams, who is viewed as a generational quarterback prospect.Many a sume that the Bears will go with Williams to gain the full benefits of having a stud quarterback on a rookie contract. That isn't set in stone, but Fields is the subject of trade rumors because of these rumblings.The latest rumors suggest that Fields may be a fit for the Steelers as they try to figure out their unsettled quarterback situation.Here's the latest chatter surrounding Fields as the 2024 NFL offseason gets into full swing.MORE:|Justin Fields trade rumorsThe latest Justin Fields rumors are increasingly tying him to the Steelers as a potential candidate for their quarterback job.The Steelers are looking for a quarterback to compete with Kenny Pickett, as Mike Tomlin detailed at his end-of-season news conference.It appears that one such quarterback Josh Hall Jersey that may interest Tomlin is Fields, as noted by Monday."Mike Tomlin is a big fan of Justin Fields," Schefter said. "We'll keep that in mind during the offseason and the coming weeks."Fields wasn't the only quarterback Schefter listed as an option for the Steelers. He also brought up Ryan Tannehill, who played for Pittsburgh's new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith in Tenne see, and Ru sell Wilson.Fields would check a lot of the boxes that Tomlin is looking for in a quarterback. Notably, he could provide the Steelers with the type of explosive playmaking that Tomlin said was absent from their offense last season."I want us to be versatile and dynamic," at his year-end news conference. "Obviously, we've got to score more points. I want to be able to keep defenses off balance. I want to utilize all the talent that we have at our disposal. I'm excited about this proce s, and in the talent pool out there, and based on what I've seen thus far."I'm really open to learning through this proce s and seeing what people have to say about their visions, and so I certainly have a vision of what it looks like but I'm open to learning through this proce s."The buzz surrounding Fields and the Steelers has caused the odds of him landing in Pittsburgh to shorten significantly. Fields began the offseason listed at +550 to be a Steeler, per Pro Football Focus. Now, his odds sit at -125.Justin Fields to the Steelers is heating up PFF Fantasy & Betting (@PFF_Fantasy) Those -125 odds imply that there's a better than 50-percent chance that Fields will join the Steelers (55.56 percent to be exact). That's a marked change from the 15.38-percent implied probability at the beginning of the offseason.It's easy to understand why many believe Fields will end up with the Steelers this offseason, but it's certainly not a foregone conclusion. There are still several other suitors who could pursue Fields, including the Falcons, Broncos, and Patriots.It also remains po sible that the Bears could keep Fields even if they are planning to draft Williams, as Schefter reported on ESPN's "Get Up" Tuesday.. says the Bears have talked about keeping Justin Fields and taking Caleb Williams in the NFL draft.Could you see it happening? Get Up (@GetUpESPN) Either way, there is plenty of time for the Bears to gauge the market and see who is willing to pay the price for Fields. That well may be the Steelers, but nothing is yet set in stone.IYER: Justin Fields statsFields set career highs in completion percentage (61.4%), pa sing yards (2,562), and pa ser rating (86.3) last season.Fields still has warts as a pa ser and needs to continue to improve his accuracy, but he will only be 25 in March. It's easy to understand why teams might have an interest in trying to tap into his upside.Fields is also a dynamic scrambler who generated a whopping 1,143 rushing yards during the 2022 NFL season. Any team interested in him would use his legs to further unlock their running game.Below is a look at Fields' stats by season as a pa ser: Year Record Comp. % Yards TDs INTs Y/A Rating 2021 2-8 58.9 1,870 7 10 6.9 73.2 2022 3-12 60.4 2,242 17 11 7.1 85.2 2023 5-8 61.4 2,562 16 9 6.9 86.3 Total 10-28 60.3 6,674 40 30 7.0 82.3Here are his rushing numbers: Year Attempts Yards TDs Y/A 2021 72 420 2 5.8 2022 160 1,143 8 7.1 2023 124 657 4 5.3 Total 356 2,220 14 6.2MORE: Justin Fields contractFields is entering the final year of his rookie contract. However, there is a fifth-year option attached to his deal because he was a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.As such, either the Bears or any other team that acquires him will have until May 2 to exercise that option to keep him under contract through 2025.Fields will still be relatively cheap in 2024. He carries a cap hit of just over $6 million to keep on the roster, as can be seen via a breakdown of his contract from . Year Base salary Bonuses Cap hit Dead cap 2024 $1,616,724 $4,387,989 $6,004,713 $6,004,713That's part of the reason that the Bears could consider keeping Fields. He would give them a great backup quarterback option and could begin the season as a starter if Williams needs any time to adjust to the NFL.Justin Fields fifth-year option costHowever, Fields' fifth-year option is projected to be worth just under $22 million, and it would be fully guaranteed.So, unle s the Bears are planning to keep Fields and pa s on Williams, they're likely to trade him to another team that would be willing to guarantee Fields a $22 million payday. Mike Muscala Jersey