Here are 4 teams the Chicago Bears could trade Justin Fields to in 2024

The Bears have a lot to figure out before they make a decision on the quarterback position. They still are working on hiring both an offensive and defensive coordinator. Head coach Matt Eberflus and general manager Ryan Poles need to round out the coaching staff before they can move forward with a quarterback decision.

The Bears, who hold the No. 1 overall draft pick in the spring, will have to decide if they want to carry on with Justin Fields as their starting quarterback or if they want to draft a quarterback with the first pick. If they do keep Fields, they could potentially receive a haul in exchange for the No. 1 pick if they want to trade it again – as they did last year.

“There’s a whole process here that we have to figure out,” Poles said last week. “But what we’re going to do is do what’s best for the organization. I’m sure there’s going to be similar situations in terms of the trade back [potential] and I’ve got to weigh all of those things to see what’s going to help our team take the next step.”

What we’re going to do is do what’s best for the organization. I’m sure there’s going to be similar situations in terms of the trade back [potential] and I’ve got to weigh all of those things to see what’s going to help our team take the next step.”

—  Ryan Poles, Bears general manager

Even so, that won’t stop the NFL world from speculating on what Poles’ move at quarterback might be. Over the weekend, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper suggested that a team desperate for a quarterback, such as the Atlanta Falcons, could be willing to part with a first-round draft pick in exchange for Fields.

The Falcons hold the No. 8 overall draft pick. Such a trade would give the Bears three picks inside the top 10.

Alternatively, Yahoo Sports surveyed seven anonymous NFL general managers in December and not a single one said Fields was worth a first-round pick. They generally characterized his value at a second-round pick or a third-round pick paired with a later-round pick.

But all it takes is one team to look at Fields and see the potential for a franchise quarterback. Below are four teams that are desperate to find a quarterback and that might be willing to trade for Fields.

Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons select eighth overall. They hold the rights to their own second-round pick, plus two third-round picks (thanks to the Calvin Ridley trade). Even if they aren’t willing to part with the No. 8 pick, they have the draft ammo to make a trade happen.

If you’re Poles, this is the scariest possible place to trade Fields. The Falcons have pieces on offense, they’re simply missing a quality quarterback. This would be especially scary if Bill Belichick takes over as head coach. If the Bears do decide to trade Fields, they would probably prefer to send him to an AFC team so that they have to face him as infrequently as possible.

Still, if the Falcons do offer the No. 8 overall pick, that might be a deal too sweet to pass up.

Denver Broncos

Of every team on this list, the Broncos feel like the biggest long shot because they don’t have the draft capital that other teams do. They’re still hurting from trades that acquired QB Russell Wilson and head coach Sean Payton. If they do move on from Wilson (which could cost them a fortune in dead cap space), their best options are either to find someone in free agency, trade for a QB like Fields, or hope the right QB drops to them at No. 12 in the draft.

The Broncos hold the No. 12 pick, but don’t have a second-round pick. They do hold third-, fourth- and two fifth-round picks. That makes it highly unlikely they can trade up in the first round of the draft. But they also have very little salary cap space, which makes them a potential trade candidate.

New England Patriots

New England is starting fresh with a new head coach. The Patriots seem unlikely to pick up the fifth-year option on Mac Jones’ contract, meaning he will enter 2024 in the final year of his rookie deal. With the No. 3 overall draft pick this year, the Patriots are on the outside looking in for top QB prospects Caleb Williams and Drake Maye.

The Patriots hold each of their top six picks. Trading the No. 3 pick for Fields is never going to happen, but a Patriots second-round pick (35th overall) would be a great get for Poles. If a first-round pick is not actually realistic, the 35th overall pick could be a best-case scenario.

New England could also be a team that makes a strong push to trade up in the draft for the No. 1 or No. 2 overall pick.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers have a roster that is good enough to reach the postseason, but are lacking a quality quarterback. They opted to start Mason Rudolph over a healthy Kenny Pickett, who they selected in the first round in 2022, in their playoff loss to Buffalo on Monday. The Steelers should be in the market for a quarterback. The Bears would probably have no qualms about sending Fields to a loaded AFC North division, where all four teams finished 2023 with winning records.

Pittsburgh holds first-, second-, third- and two fourth-round picks. Their first-round pick is locked in at 20th overall, which makes their second-round pick 51st overall. The Steelers’ second-round pick paired with a late-round pick could be enough to get a deal done.