The Chicago Bears stand to get quality compensation for quarterback Justin Fields if they decide to draft his replacement with the first overall pick.
The 2021 first-round pick just pieced together the best season of his young career and helped Chicago to a four-win improvement (7-10) from 2022 (3-14). But the Bears own the top pick in this year’s draft via the Carolina Panthers, putting GM Ryan Poles in position to take USC star Caleb Williams if he so desires.
If the Bears end up taking Williams (as expected), Fields will most certainly get traded to another QB-needy team. ESPN’s Mel Kiper proposed an enticing trade idea that has Chicago trading Fields to the Atlanta Falcons for 2nd and fourth-round picks:
The Falcons finished with a disappointing 7-10 record in 2023, prompting owner Arthur Blank to fire head coach Arthur Smith. New HC Raheem Morris will certainly want an upgrade from the Desmond Ridder-Taylor Heinicke tandem, and Fields certainly fits that bill.