One of the major talks of the NFL offseason is what the Chicago Bears will be doing with their No. 1 overall pick, and equally as important, what will happen with quarterback Justin Fields.
It’s widely expected the Bears will be taking one of the top quarterback prospects in this year’s draft with Fields heading into the final year of his rookie deal. The Bears also have a fifth-year option they could exercise for Fields, but if a quarterback is expected to be drafted, there would be no point.
Because of that, it’s been speculated Chicago will be trading Fields this offseason.
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Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields speaks during a news conference following the Chiefs game, Sept. 24, 2023, in Kansas City. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
Those rumors have only heightened since it was seen that Fields no longer follows the Bears on Instagram, which some believe shows their relationship is coming to an end.
Fields discussed his reasoning with the St. Brown brothers – Equanimeous St. Brown, his Bears teammate, and Detroit Lions star Amon-Ra St. Brown – on their podcast.
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“Man, I’m glad we’re talking about it because why do people take social media so serious? I still mess with the Bears,” Fields said. “I’m just trying to take a little break. I unfollowed the Bears and the NFL. Bro, I’m not just trying to have football on my timeline.
“I’m about to go on vacation, I don’t wanna see no football.”
Fields also gave Equanimeous a different way of looking at his situation with the Bears.
“Just because you don’t follow the girl on IG, don’t mean you not messing with her,” he said.
USC quarterback Caleb Williams, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner, is the frontrunner to land with the Bears, while UNC’s Drake Maye and LSU’s Jayden Daniels, this past season’s Heisman winner, are also in the conversation.
It’s a conversation, though, that Fields is sick of seeing.
Bears quarterback Justin Fields walks to the locker room after being sacked during the Minnesota Vikings game, Oct. 15, 2023, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
“It’s either, ‘Keep Fields, we want Fields, or draft Caleb [Williams].’ So it’s like I’m tired of hearing the talk. I just want it to be over,” he said.
This is something Fields hasn’t had to deal with yet in his career. When the Bears traded up with the New York Giants in the 2021 NFL Draft to nab Fields at No. 11 overall, he was expected to be their franchise quarterback for years to come.
However, Fields is 10-28 as a starter over three seasons. That isn’t entirely on his play, as his ability to run and pass makes him a dynamic signal caller to build an offense around. But the end result on game day is all that matters, and the Bears haven’t sniffed the playoffs with him in place.
Fields went 5-8 last season in 13 starts, throwing for 16 touchdowns to nine interceptions with 2,562 yards (career-high), while rushing for 657 yards and four touchdowns. The season prior saw Fields rush for 1,143 yards with eight scores and throwing for 2,242 yards with 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
If the Bears do wish to trade Fields, he should have suitors across the league considering his age (24) and tremendous talent that could benefit from having higher-quality weapons and a solid offensive line around him.
Quarterback Justin Fields of the Bears warms up for the Minnesota Vikings game at Soldier Field on Oct. 15, 2023, in Chicago. (Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)
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But it’s the question GM Ryan Poles and the rest of the Bears organization has yet to answer. There’s still loads of time before they’re on the clock in April, too.
