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The 2024 NFL Draft is just 40 days away, but Justin Fields is still on the Chicago Bears. It was expected that the franchise would trade the quarterback before the free agency began, but, surprisingly, the trade market for Fields has completely dried up.
The Atlanta Falcons have signed Kirk Cousins, while the Pittsburgh Steelers have also brought a veteran quarterback in Russell Wilson. The Falcons and the Steelers were viewed as the most likely landing spots for Fields. But now that both of those teams have their quarterback, the Bears are unlikely to get a good return for the former Ohio State star.
Why is there no longer a big trade market for Fields? Let's take a look at the possible reasons behind the lack of teams trying to acquire the Bears quarterback.
Why is Justin Fields not traded yet?
One of the main reasons Justin Fields hasn't been traded yet is that, despite his potential, not many in the league believe he's an elite quarterback. Although he has shown flashes of greatness as a quarterback, his lack of consistency in his three-year NFL career has significantly lowered his value.
Another reason is that Fields will be entering the fourth year of his rookie contract. The team that gets him will eventually need to pay him next season as well due to his fifth-year option.
Furthermore, he will be a free agent in 2026, leaving little time for a team to assemble a Super Bowl-caliber roster around Fields while he's still on his rookie contract.
As a result, the Steelers and Falcons have gone with more seasoned quarterbacks. The Seahawks, meanwhile, acquired Sam Howell for significantly less than what they would have had to give up to acquire Fields. Moreover, the former Commanders quarterback will be less expensive than the Bears star while he continues to develop behind Geno Smith.
It's nearly inevitable that the Bears will select Caleb Williams with the first overall pick, and they have already assembled an excellent roster around their potential new quarterback.
Williams starting his career with a good supporting cast around him is unfair to Fields, but the team gave the latter almost three seasons to prove his value. Unfortunately, the opportunity to draft a generational prospect like Williams is just too difficult to pass on for Ryan Poles and the Bears.
Possible landing spot for Justin Fields
There are not many teams in the NFL that need a quarterback who also doesn't have a top pick in the upcoming draft, but there's still a team that would make sense for Justin Fields.
The Las Vegas Raiders have the 13th overall pick in the upcoming draft. It's likely they won't get the opportunity to draft quarterbacks like Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels or J.J. McCarthy.
Unless they pursue Michael Penix Jr., Bo Nix, or Spencer Rattler later in the draft, Fields could a good fit for them. The Raiders have a decent roster, and with a good quarterback, they should be competitive next season.
They signed Gardner Minshew to a two-year, $25 million contract, but if he's their starting quarterback, things could get rough for Raiders fans. As a result, trading for Fields Fields makes sense for them. Given that the Bears quarterback's market has dried up, a third-round pick might land Fields.
Players like Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers and Michael Mayer would provide excellent support for Justin Fields, enabling coach Antonio Pierce to bring the best out of him.
