Meager Justin Fields trade return shouldn’t dim excitement over Caleb Williams’ arrival

Meager Justin Fields trade return shouldn’t dim excitement over Caleb Williams’ arrival originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

The Bears didn’t get what many in the public thought was an appropriate trade return for quarterback Justin Fields when they traded him to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night for a 2025 sixth-round pick that can become a fourth-rounder if playing time incentives are reached.

It wasn’t the pie-in-the-sky first-round pick many trumpeted over the past few months. It wasn’t a high Day 2 pick that seemed plausible for an athletic quarterback with upside. The NFL knew the Bears wanted to move off Fields. They also watched the film and saw the warts that, at the moment, outweigh the potential. All the finger-pointing that started early last season around the Bears’ offensive struggles was vaporized this offseason when offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and wide receiver Darnell Mooney both quickly found new homes. The NFL didn’t see them as the issue.

A good return was never coming. The Bears knew that. They had discussions with multiple teams over the past few weeks, but all of those perceived suitors viewed Fields as a backup and were only willing to pay backup-level compensation for Fields, league sources told NBC Sports Chicago.

The Bears could have held onto Fields and hoped for a desperate team to emerge after an injury in camp or early in the season.

But that was never going to be a tenable situation for either Fields, presumptive No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams, or the locker room.

The Bears wanted to “do right” by Fields and whichever quarterback they eventually select as his successor in the 2024 NFL Draft.

The Bears gave Fields a fresh start with a winning organization. Fields will arrive in Pittsburgh as Russell Wilson’s backup, but given Wilson’s struggles the past two seasons, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Fields ultimately wins the job.

A conditional 2025 sixth-round pick is much less than what Bears general manager Ryan Pace…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/meager-justin-fields-trade-return-164933632.html

Author : NBC Sports Chicago

Publish date : 2024-03-17 16:49:33

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