The Chicago Bears are buying and selling quarterback Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 2025 sixth-round decide that might be upgraded to a fourth-round decide based mostly on taking part in time, ESPN reported on Saturday, citing a number of staff sources. The staff confirmed the information in a while Saturday.
The commerce was reported 5 days after the Steelers signed nine-time Professional Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson to a one-year deal.
ESPN reported that Fields, a first-round decide in 2021, is not going to be competiting with Wilson for the beginning job and can function his understudy within the quarterback room.
The deal clears the best way for the Bears to draft a quarterback with the No 1 general decide – maybe USC’s Caleb Williams.
“We’ve got engaged in a number of commerce conversations in current weeks and imagine buying and selling Justin at the moment to Pittsburgh is what’s finest for each Justin and the Bears,” basic supervisor Ryan Poles mentioned in an announcement. “As we speak we spoke to Justin to tell him of the commerce and the rationale behind it for us as a membership.
“We need to thank him for his tireless dedication, management and all he poured into our franchise and group the final three years and need him the very best in the direction of a protracted and profitable NFL profession.”
Fields thanked Chicago and the group, in addition to his teammates in a submit on X.
“Can’t say thanks sufficient to town of Chicago for taking me in and embracing me,” he tweeted. “Thanks to your entire Bears group and possession for permitting me the chance to be a part of such a historic franchise. However most of all thanks to my all my brothers that I performed with. You all had been the rationale I attacked every day the best way I did. I can’t thanks all sufficient for what y’all have meant to me over the past 3 years via the ups and downs. I want every considered one of you nothing however success.
“Prepared for this subsequent chapter!”
Wilson tweeted an image of him and Fields shaking arms with the message: “Let’s get it @justnfields! QB room bout to be (hearth).”
Fields, drafted eleventh general in 2021 by the Bears and former basic supervisor Ryan Tempo, struggled as a rookie beneath former coach Matt Nagy. Although he produced large performs together with his legs and arms, he didn’t develop as a passer the best way the staff hoped the previous two years beneath Poles and coach Matt Eberflus.
Fields accomplished 578 of 958 passes for six,674 yards with 40 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in three seasons. He has only one 300-yard passing sport in his profession.
Chicago might have gotten an enormous haul by buying and selling the No. 1 decide. But it surely’s not typically the traditionally quarterback-challenged Bears have an opportunity to draft a prospect resembling Williams. The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner is basically anticipated to be picked first general after he threw 72 landing passes with solely 10 interceptions the previous two seasons at USC after a yr at Oklahoma.
The commerce of Fields comes two days after the Bears acquired Keenan Allen from the Los Angeles Chargers of their second deal for a star receiver in as a few years.
They dealt the No 1 decide in 2023 to Carolina for DJ Moore final March. The Bears additionally acquired the Panthers’ first-rounder this yr. And with Carolina ending a league-worst 2-15 report, Chicago wound up with the No. 1 decide this yr.
Fields, in the meantime, will get an opportunity at a recent begin in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers completely revamped their quarterback room over the past month, with Pickett, Mitch Trubisky (reduce) and Mason Rudolph (signed with Tennessee) gone.
President Artwork Rooney II made it very clear in January that it was “time to get some wins” within the postseason. Whereas the staff publicly backed Pickett within the aftermath of a yr that ended with the previous first-round decide serving as Rudolph’s backup, in a method the Steelers had no alternative on the time with Trubisky all however assured of being a wage cap casualty and Rudolph set to change into a free agent.
Issues have modified quickly, an uncharacteristic growth for a staff that prides itself on stability in a league constructed on the other in most locations.
There’s little doubt Wilson would be the starter in Week 1, permitting Fields time to get accustomed to first-year offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s system and hit the reset button on a profession that hasn’t gone to plan.
Whereas Fields has had accuracy points, he additionally provides the type of mobility that Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has craved for years. Tomlin hoped Pickett would be capable of supply a portion of it. As an alternative, Pickett struggled to make important strides throughout his first full season as a starter in 2023. He threw for simply six touchdowns and 4 interceptions in 12 video games, the type of manufacturing that despatched Pittsburgh into the offseason with extra questions than solutions about crucial place on the sphere.
4 days into the brand new league yr, these questions are very totally different.
Can Wilson regain the successful contact he had throughout his extremely profitable run in Seattle? And may Fields turn into the type of participant Chicago envisioned when it took him with the eleventh general decide in 2021?
