“What will the Chicago Bears do with Justin Fields?” That was the question that reverberated from the fanbase and through Halas Hall in the twilight of 2023 season and beyond, dominating all conversation as the clock ticked closer to draft day.
The Bears have been transfixed with USC phenom Caleb Williams ever since the team had a firm grasp of the number overall selection of the 2024 NFL draft, but their clear intention to select him with the pick left an odd man out in the QB room. Would the team retain Fields and allow him to compete with his rookie counterpart in training camp? Or would the team part ways with the talented dual-threat QB, giving him a chance to start somewhere else?
The latter was the route the Bears took. Chicago shipped Fields off to Pittsburgh in exchange for a conditional 2025 sixth-round pick that could be a fourth based on his playing time, closing the book on the Fields era in Chicago. The move was met with frustration from some fans, bemoaning the little amount of compensation the Bears received, but general manager Ryan Poles made it clear that it was Fields’ wish to go to Pittsburgh. Poles emphasized that Fields would have a say throughout the whole prolonged process, and that ended up being true in the end.
Bears president Kevin Warren voiced his approval of the deal when speaking with the media at the NFL owners meetings, specifically praising Poles for staying true to his word.
“I’m glad we were able to do right by (Fields),” Warren said. “And that was another critical data point to show you who Ryan Poles is. That he’s going to build this (team) with integrity and class and when he says he cares about people and players.”
Warren spoke at length about Fields, saying that he believes that Pittsburgh was the right place for him.
“One of the things I appreciated the most is that we wanted to do right by Justin, and Pittsburgh was the best trade destination for him,” Warren said. “And I think in the long term, if you do right by people… those things come back to you in ways you really hasn’t planned… I wish him well. And I say that sincerely.”
It’s quite the breath of fresh air to see the organization so unified in their beliefs, as the Bears’ front office has been notoriously rigid in the last couple of decades. They were in lockstep when handling the Fields dilemma, and it seems that they are dedicated to hitting a home-run with the number one pick next month. There’s much work to be done before Chicago is ready to be a serious playoff contender, but communication between the higher-ups is something the Bears have gotten right thus far.
