The Chicago Bears are running out of potential trade partners for quarterback Justin Fields after several veteran quarterbacks agreed to terms with teams on March 11’s first day of free agent negotiations. One team, however, is believed to still have an interest in possibly acquiring the Bears’ 2021 first-round pick.
According to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur, the Las Vegas Raiders are “kicking the tires” on a possible trade for Fields after seeing several of his expected suitors commit to other options over the past few days. The Pittsburgh Steelers are adding Russell Wilson, while the Atlanta Falcons agreed to sign Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract.
“As the market shrivels up for Justin Fields, [the] Raiders [are] kicking the tires on a possible reunion with offensive coordinator Luke Getsy,” Tafur wrote on X.
Now, Tafur did post what he has heard about the Raiders and Fields before the team agreed to terms with veteran quarterback Gardner Minshew. His colleagues at The Athletic reported Minshew signed a two-year, $25 million deal with the Raiders that includes $15 million guaranteed. They also wrote that Minshew is “likely to compete” with 2023 rookie Aidan O’Connell for the starting job during the 2024 season.
If signing Minshew eliminates the Raiders, though, who else could want Fields?
Could Denver Broncos Make Sense for Justin Fields?
With the Falcons, Steelers and Raiders all finding veteran quarterbacks, the Bears might not have much of a trade market left for Fields — if they ever did in the first place.
The Washington Commanders and New England Patriots are too well situated in the draft order to be sensible options for Fields. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers also re-upped with Baker Mayfield on a three-year, $100 million contract extension. Still, there are a few teams with questions at quarterback who could be tempted into a trade for Fields.
The Denver Broncos could be an intriguing possibility. They are releasing Wilson — who has agreed to then sign with the Steelers — at the official start of the new league year on March 13 and currently have Jarrett Stidham as the best option to replace him. While they might prefer to land a rookie with the No. 11 overall pick (or through a trade-up), there are no guarantees they will be able to get the one they want from the class.
With Fields, the Broncos would at least add another quality starting candidate to the mix who could challenge either Stidham or a rookie — or both — for the main gig. They would have to decide whether to pick up his fifth-year option shortly after the draft, but a trade could work even without picking it up if the price is low enough for Fields.
Bears’ Trade Return for Justin Fields Could Be Minimal
The Bears once seemed to have a good chance of getting a quality return for Fields. Insider Adam Schefter told ESPN Chicago on February 6 that he believed the Bears could “definitely” get a second-round pick for Fields and maybe even a first-rounder.
Now, with Atlanta and Pittsburgh among the ‘out’ crowd, that is much less likely.
The Bears might be hard-pressed to find a motivated trade suitor for Fields at this point in the game. If the Broncos are not interested, the next-best options on paper might be the Seattle Seahawks and New York Giants — and neither has made it clear they want to acquire a challenger for their current veteran quarterback.
Otherwise, the Bears might have to settle for something similar to what the Patriots got Mac Jones. They are shipping Jones — the No. 15 pick in 2021 — to the Jacksonville Jaguars to be Trevor Lawrence’s backup in exchange for a 2024 sixth-round pick. The return is meager, but then again so is the market for Fields despite his uber-athletism.
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