Why Bears decision on Justin Fields could come sooner than later

A Justin Fields trade could get moving sooner than people think according to NFL reporter

A lot of intel has been released in the past month or so, pointing to the Bears drafting USC quarterback Caleb Williams in the 2024 NFL draft. None of this is certain, NFL insiders are just predicting what the Bears will do based on what they hear around the league. Ryan Poles could have something else in mind for the Bears.

If the Bears do draft Williams they will have to do something with Justin Fields. From draft analysts to reliable NFL insiders, they all claim Fields has solid trade value. According to one NFL reporter, the Bears may not have to wait long for a Justin Fields trade to develop.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported on Thursday that a Justin Fields trade may start forming sooner rather than later. He said if the Bears aim to get a deal done, the ideal start time for ironing out trade details is when the NFL calendar year officially opens in March.

Albert Breer responded to a Bears fan’s question about the Bears potentially drafting a QB. In Breer’s response, he revealed his prediction on a Justin Fields trade.

From david #13EARDOWN (@WeWantCaleb): What are the odds that the Bears are drafting a QB with the first pick?

“David, I’d say better than even odds that the Chicago Bears take Caleb Williams first—and the clock is ticking on making that decision, believe it or not. If Chicago wants to extract the best value it can for Justin Fields, it’d be preferable to get the process of finding a trade partner off the ground between now and the beginning of March.”

“Once the league year starts, quarterback spots across the NFL will start to fill up. Kirk Cousins will decide on a home. Baker Mayfield will, too. And so will scores of others. So if the Bears drag their feet on this, they could miss the market at the position.

That’s why I’d bet that Fields could be moved around the time of the NFL Scouting Combine or so … if I were a betting man.”

History shows that there is validity in Breer’s trade timeline guess

Bree’s guess about a Justin Fields trade might be pretty accurate. It was around the NFL combine last year that everyone knew that the Bears would be trading the number one pick. If a Justin Fields trade is going to happen, it will be known for sure before the draft. All based on previous experiences. This isn’t set in stone, but based on what is known about Ryan Poles and the other Bears decision makers, it is highly believable.

Getting a potential trade in place before the draft would be the best for the Bears. This would allow Ryan Poles to fully flesh out his plan before draft day.  It would also allow Poles the chance to figure out what he wants to do with the assets acquired for Fields. Which would make things much smoother come draft day.

It will be interesting to see if a Justin Fields trade does develop behind the scenes before the draft. More and more sources are starting to report this possibility. There are teams like Atlanta that could be interested in Fields abilities.

Only time will tell if these reports hold any water. Evidence from the past points to this being a very possible reality. The NFL draft festivities begin on April 25th and end on April 27th.