The Chicago Bears were a hot topic of conversation during the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine as the NFL world await their decision at quarterback.
The assumption is Chicago will move on from veteran Justin Fields and draft Caleb Williams with the first overall pick. And there’s been no shortage of Fields trade buzz coming out of the combine.
According to ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler, there’s no official deadline for a move but, as general manager Ryan Poles hinted, free agency is the soft deadline.
There are four teams expected to show interest in Fields, per Fowler — the Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers, Las Vegas Raiders and Minnesota Vikings.
The major quarterback domino that many are waiting to fall is Chicago’s Justin Fields decision. Chicago has not played its hand, and several league sources believe Fields — who has not requested a trade — could probably garner a Day 2 pick in a potential deal. There’s no firm deadline on a trade, though the start of free agency is sort of a soft one. Chicago will need multiple teams in the fray to drive a market, and after asking around, I expect Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Las Vegas and Minnesota to be on the radar.
One team that’s been heavily linked to Fields for awhile now are the Falcons, where NBC Sports Chicago reported Atlanta had contacted Chicago about Fields this week at the combine. Later in the week, Tony Pauline reported the Bears and Falcons could be close on a deal.
Fowler reiterated there’s “plenty of smoke” when it comes to Fields and the Falcons. But Atlanta is also showing interest in free agents Kirk Cousins and Baker Mayfield, so it doesn’t sound like a deal is imminent.
There’s plenty of smoke around Atlanta and Fields. Some around the league are wondering about the fit, thinking a Rams-influence offense under new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson could target a Cousins-style quarterback, while others say Fields’ immense talent will be maximized in that scheme. As one league source put it, Atlanta has done enough work on Fields, Cousins and Baker Mayfield that the chances of coming away with one of them are fairly good.
Poles made it clear that he wanted to “do right” by Fields and get a deal done as soon as possible. While the goal was to have things settled before the start of free agency next week, things might drag on a little bit longer as the offseason quarterback market settles.
