The Bears traded Justin Fields to the Steelers in NFL free agency. Chicago might as well have given away the 2021 first-round quarterback for free.
Pittsburgh wasn’t expected to follow through in its offseason interest of Fields after signing former Denver starter Russell Wilson to a bargain-basement one-year deal. But with Fields’ trade value dwindling to next to nothing, it was a move the Steelers couldn’t refuse to make.
While Wilson and Fields form the Steelers’ brand-new QB room with Kenny Pickett traded and both Mason Rudolph and former Bear Mitchell Trubisky leaving in free agency in March, the Bears clear the way to draft potential new franchise passer Caleb Williams No. 1 overall in April.
MORE: D.J. Moore gives simple response to Bears’ Justin Fields trade
Here’s breaking down the lopsided swap between Pittsburgh and Chicago:
Justin Fields trade grades
Steelers receive:
Bears receive:
- 2025 sixth-round pick (can become fourth-round pick)
Steelers grade: A
Wilson is signed for only one season and will turn 36 in November. Meanwhile, Fields only turned 25 on March 5. The Steelers are shooting for the moon at the most important position under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.
They’re taking a shot that either Wilson will return into his future Hall of Fame, perennial Pro Bowl form, or Fields further accelerates his developmental upside. Somehow, the Steelers ended up taking almost zero risk in attempting for massive rewards. The bottom line is, they felt either Wilson or Fields has a much better chance to rise into elite QB status soon than Pickett, any other free or rookie draft pick might.
The Steelers are paying Wilson only $1.2 million for the 2024 season with the Broncos picking up most of the tab. Now they got Fields without giving up a Round 1 or Day 2 draft pick and will lose absolutely nothing this year.
There’s a good chance one of the Steelers’ two new QB paths gets them to the point the team returns to the playoffs with Mike Tomlin. They now believe they have an opportunity to contend for much bigger things than that in the AFC.
MORE: Why the Bears traded Justin Fields
Bears grade: F
GM Ryan Poles couldn’t convince any QB-needy team to give up even a second-round pick for Fields. The Bears misread the supply in relation to the demand for a young veteran.
The one benefit for the Bears is they can full speed ahead with the talented Williams and not look back. They could have had bigger problems had they kept a lame-duck Fields as an unwilling backup for a split locker room.
The Bears didn’t do well to hide their cards. The whole league knew early they were locking into keeping the top pick and moving ahead with Williams. Their other potential trade partners, the Commanders (No. 2 overall) and Patriots (No. 3 overall), were position to get the next two best QB prospects after Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye.
Most teams went for a bridge starter or more seasoned backup before wanting to give much for Fields. The Steelers signed Wilson for less what Trubisky (Bills) and Rudolph (Titans) got. They gave up Pickett and a fourth-rounder to Eagles for third- and seventh-rounder, so they even had an extra pick to burn for Fields.
Regardless of Williams living up to expectations in upgrading from Fields, they failed in the process of moving on from Fields.
