Justin Fields has broken his silence after being traded from the Bears to the Steelers,
Though Justin Fields is not currently the Chicago Bears’ starting quarterback anymore, his fondness for both the city and its fans who backed him during his tenure remains intact.
Fields recently spoke to First Down Magazine where he discussed his trade from the Bears to the Pittsburgh Steelers on March 16. He also shared some sentimental words for both his loyal fans and teammates in Chicago before departing.
Fields said, “My teammates and the city of Chicago are aware that I hold a deep love for them,” while co-hosting a football camp with Christian Wilkinson on March 15 in Milan, Italy.
Since Day 1, I’ve held a deep affection for both my teammates and their camaraderie. My connections with them are enduring and will remain so indefinitely. The loyalty of our fans has been unwavering throughout every season: fair or flawed, win or lose – they always show up to offer enthusiastic support regardless of the inclement weather conditions outside. In truth, my companions on the team feel like family members; indeed, there is no need for me to express explicitly how much love exists between us as it already goes without saying amongst ourselves.
After the Bears traded Fields, some of his teammates shared their reactions. DJ Moore, a notable wide receiver on the team kept it concise and wrote “Business is business” on X. On the other hand, strong safety Jaquan Brisker appeared to be more affected by writing “Don’t talk to me”.
“I had originally intended to go out and explore the city, but Flus [head coach Matt Eberflus] and some individuals from the Bears contacted me. Upon hearing Justin’s news, I made the decision to stay in instead,” stated Cole Kmet during his appearance on CHGO Bears podcast on March 18th. “While it was truly disheartening to hear what had happened at that time, deep down you knew something like this might eventually happen.”
Justin Fields gives Bears fans ample justification to cheer for him.
As Fields has departed from the Bears, it seems highly likely that they will opt for a new recruit to succeed him using their top overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Nevertheless, both the fanbase and organization of Chicago have genuine incentives to continue cheering on his accomplishments with Pittsburgh.
Fields has been traded from the Bears to the Steelers in exchange for a sixth-round pick set to take place in 2025. However, should Fields hold sway on the field and play over half of snaps during Pittsburgh’s run within their upcoming 2024 season, this draft will be elevated to fourth-round status instead. Essentially, if he manages such an impressive feat as surpassing veteran Russell Wilson on Pittsburgh’s depth chart -whether through exceptional talent or plain old unfortunate injury- then Chicago can expect greater reward for transferring him away than initially anticipated.
Across 38 starts and a total of 40 games played for the Bears over three seasons, Fields achieved an impressive completion percentage of 60.3%, completing 578 passes out of his attempted tally of 958. In addition to racking up roughly over six thousand yards, he secured forty touchdowns while also enduring thirty interceptions throughout his career so far. He’s additionally renowned as a skilled rusher – having finished with fourteen scores and accumulated approximately two thousand two hundred rushing yards overall- during which in the year2022 alone he scored second on single-season NFL quarterback rushing charts (achieving one-thousand-one-hundred-and-fourty-three running yards).
Fields could benefit from a new beginning. He’ll be able to gain valuable knowledge from Wilson, who has been selected for the Pro Bowl nine times. Furthermore, Fields can count on coach Mike Tomlin’s support; Darlington of ESPN reports that he has always admired the Ohio State graduate quarterback. Although attaining 51% of snaps may not be an easy task, it is possible with hard work and dedication.
The upcoming Pro Day of Caleb Williams is the next target for the Bears in their search for a quarterback.
By trading Fields, the Bears have essentially solidified their intention to draft a rookie quarterback as their new franchise starter in next month’s draft. While it remains uncertain if they will adhere to expectations and choose USC’s Caleb Williams at No.1 or opt for some other option, the possibility of drafting a novice QB is almost inevitable now.
The upcoming evaluation step is Williams’ pro day scheduled on March 20th.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Bears GM Ryan Poles will be present for USC’s pro day to observe Williams’ throwing abilities. As he didn’t throw during the 2024 NFL Combine in Indianapolis recently, this firsthand assessment could prove advantageous in Chicago’s analysis of him as a potential candidate.
Later on, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated corroborated that the Bears have intentions to invite Williams for his top-30 visit in Chicago. Although initially planning to host him shortly following the combine, an alternate schedule was arranged between both parties for a later date.
Although Williams remains the primary concern for many Bears fans, Chicago has other pro days to attend and requirements to fulfill before solidifying their plans. J.J. McCarthy from Michigan is scheduled for his pro day on March 22nd while Jayden Daniels of LSU (March 27th) and Drake Maye of UNC (March 28th), who are predicted to be among the top three picks alongside Williams, will conduct workouts next week as well.
After Williams’ top-30 visit, the Bears could potentially choose to select him with the No. 1 overall pick or they may still attend all three other quarterbacks’ pro days as a part of their due diligence process.
