Bears Turned Down Bigger Offer For Justin Fields Before Pittsburgh Trade
It finally happened. After weeks of tension that began boiling over among fans, the Chicago Bears made the move that had been expected. Justin Fields was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a conditional 6th round pick that can become a 4th round pick in 2025. He will start as Russell Wilson’s backup and have a chance to work from there. It ends a sad chapter of Bears history at quarterback. While Fields never quite found the consistency needed to become a top passer, most agree the organization didn’t do him any favors with the lack of support and stability.
People think GM Ryan Poles got fleeced in the deal, but here’s the thing. It isn’t because Pittsburgh outmaneuvered him. Courtney Cronin of ESPN revealed details of how things unfolded. The Bears shopped Fields since the Senior Bowl but quickly found the market for him was far softer than anticipated, spurred by a league-wide view of him as a backup and a stronger-than-normal free agent market. Even so, Poles still had a chance to get a bigger return for Fields than what he settled for.
He accepted Pittsburgh’s offer anyway.
A source told ESPN that five teams in addition to Pittsburgh reached out to Chicago, and the majority of those teams had envisioned the former first-round pick in a backup role. Additionally, the Steelers had been in talks with the Bears throughout the week of free agency and reached out again after sending Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday. The Bears had an additional offer with stronger draft capital from a team with an established starter, per a source, but chose to send Fields to Pittsburgh with the hope of putting the 25-year-old in a position to continue his development — first as a backup to Wilson and eventually as a starter.
The Bears kept their promise of doing right by Justin Fields.
In almost every situation, teams have no obligation to do anything other than what is best for them. Most GMs would’ve taken the most significant possible return and ignored the players’ concerns. In a remarkable show of class, Poles kept his promise to Fields by sending him to an organization known for stability with a head coach in Mike Tomlin who has deep ties to Ohio State. The quarterback ends up in a place where people believe in him and will do the necessary work to help him continue his career. That will upset a lot of fans who wanted bigger draft compensation, but it was also a classy move by the organization.
Chicago is already looking good for the 2025 draft. This trade gives them nine total picks, including three in the first two rounds. Poles shouldn’t have any issues adding more talent to the roster. He was willing to make a minor sacrifice to give Justin Fields what he needed, which was a chance to rebound. After what the quarterback went through during those turbulent past three seasons, it was the right thing to do. The Bears can move forward at quarterback with their future #1 pick with a clear conscience.