The Bears have a decision to make in the coming few months.
Justin Fields looked to be the Bears’ answer at quarterback for a short time, establishing himself as a whirling dervish in open field en route to a ninth-place finish in MVP voting in 2022.
The next season represented a step back for the third-year signal-caller. With a host of talented hurlers in the 2024 NFL draft class — spearheaded by USC’s Caleb Williams — general manager Ryan Poles is playing the field, seemingly dangling both Fields and Chicago’s No. 1 pick (acquired from the Panthers) as potential trade chips.
It’s all made the future look that much murkier in the Windy City. Poles isn’t doing himself any favors, either, contradicting prior remarks he made hailing Fields as the face of the franchise or hinting that the Bears would bring another flamethrower in this season.
The 38-year old added to the hysterics with comments he made surrounding Fields, Williams and Chicago’s draft process Tuesday. It proceeded to draw support — and ire — among legions of Bears’ supporters, many of whom are unable to tell in what direction the legendary organization will go.
MORE: Bears WR D.J. Moore feels 2024 QB prospects ‘don’t compare’ to Justin Fields
With that, The Sporting News takes a look back at Poles’ most noteworthy moments from Tuesday’s presser, a window into just what could be in store for the Monsters of the Midway come draft night.
Bears GM Ryan Poles talks Justin Fields, No. 1 pick trade rumors
Poles delved into his thought process surrounding Chicago’s plans for the 2024 NFL Draft, telling reporters that he has to prioritize long-term success for the franchise, not short-term gains. It’s a concept that Poles said runs contradictory to the interests of a lot of the Bears’ playing staff.
“It’s my job to think of the long term and a lot of our guys kind of don’t see that,” Poles said. “It’s not their job to do that and they defend their guy which I think speaks volumes about our culture in that locker room.”
To that end, Poles added that he’s receiving a lot of interest from teams around the league over the availability of the No. 1 overall pick and the franchise’s current starting quarterback, Fields. It’s not the worst place to be in, Poles reckoned.
“My phone won’t stop ringing,” Poles said. “Everyone wants to take the temperature of what’s going on.”
Judging from his prior comments, a trade revolving around Fields could be seen as increasingly likely. Poles addressed the possibility of offloading Fields with reporters Tuesday. Although football is a business, Poles said he would take every step to ensure the franchise does well for both itself and Fields.
“If we do go down that road, I wanna do right by Justin as well,” Poles said. “No one wants to live in gray … We’ll gather the information. We’ll move as quickly as possible. We’re not gonna be in a rush.”
It seems the Bears offseason carousel is only just beginning. It’ll be interesting to see if Williams, Fields and others are swept up in the mayhem ahead of the start of the NFL draft on April 25.
