The sweepstakes for Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields should come to a conclusion in the next few weeks, or it could be extended to April if the market is really depressed. Broncos insider Benjamin Allbright wouldn’t be surprised if the deal wasn’t done until the second wave of free agency.
The lack of interest in Fields from teams has caught the Bears by surprise. Bears general manager Ryan Poles said that he would love to have the deal in place before free agency, but that seems unlikely as of right now.
“I’ve said all along, I’d be surprised if the Bears didn’t go Caleb Williams at one,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter said on the Pat McAfee Show on Monday. “So, what happens to Justin Fields? I don’t think the market for him right now is as robust as the Bears and he had thought.”
The Pittsburgh Steelers, Atlanta Falcons, Las Vegas Raiders and Minnesota Vikings have been the teams most often linked to trade for Fields, which should only require a second-round pick, at the very least. The Steelers have also been linked to quarterbacks Russell Wilson, Kirk Cousins and Ryan Tannehill this offseason.
Former Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera, who’s now an analyst on ESPN, thinks the Steelers should take a shot at Fields. He thinks the former Ohio State Buckeye would be an ideal fit in Pittsburgh, especially in Arthur Smith’s run-heavy, play-action offense.
“I think Pittsburgh would be a good landing spot for him,” Rivera said on NFL Live. “They’re a physical running team. They’re a downhill running team, and I think that bodes very well for him just because of the fact that now you have a guy that can run play-action, move around in the pocket, sustain the play, keep the play going, and get the ball downfield. He’s showed he’s got a very strong arm, he can really put the ball out there and let the receivers go chase and go get it.”
Former Steelers free safety and current ESPN analyst Ryan Clark agreed with Rivera’s statement, but pushed back that if the Steelers are going to make that decision, Fields has to be the quarterback of the future. Fields isn’t going to come over to compete with Pickett.
Clark has made it clear this offseason that he doesn’t think Pickett is the answer.
“This is actually a talented offense. You add a dynamic talent like a Justin Fields at the quarterback position, and we can really see things flourish under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith,” Clark said.