Justin Fields

Latest On Steelers’ QB Situation

March 28th, 2024 at 8:17pm CST by Ben Levine

The Steelers entered the offseason with some expectation of shaking up their quarterbacks room. However, Steelers general manager Omar Khan admitted this week that he never would have imagined the team adding both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.

“I’m excited about both of those players,” Khan said earlier this week (via Dale Lolley of the team’s website). “They’re both really good quarterbacks. If you would have told me a month ago in Indy that we’d be here and Russell Wilson and Justin Fields would be our quarterbacks, I’d say, I’d be a little bit surprised.”

When the season ended with yet another one-and-done playoff appearance, Khan gave Kenny Pickett a vote of confidence. At the same time, the GM acknowledged that the Steelers would likely add some competition at the position. That mentality didn’t last too long, as both Russell (via free agency) and Fields (via trade) were acquired thanks to massive discounts. The Steelers were also able to find a trade partner for Pickett in the Eagles, allowing them to completely reset their QB depth chart. Despite the sudden pivot, Khan made it clear that it had nothing to do with Pickett’s ability.

“Nothing has changed. I still have a lot of faith in Kenny Pickett,” Khan said. “Kenny’s a good football player, a good quarterback. I think he’s got a big future in the NFL. Things just kind of evolved. I couldn’t really have foreseen that things would go the way they did.”

Now, the Steelers will shift their focus to their two new signal callers. Mike Tomlin made it clear this week that Wilson is in “pole position” to be Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback, although Fields will eventually have the “opportunity to compete” when the time comes. Tomlin noted the advantage of having clarity at the position, which is why he’s been straightforward when discussing his team’s QB plan.

“We’ve been very transparent about the pecking order, at least to start,” Tomlin said earlier this week (via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor). “I just think that provides clarity for all parties involved. Russell is a veteran, man. He’s got a proven process of readiness. He’s been in this league a long time. He’s capable of rallying troops, receivers, tight ends, running backs, et cetera. He’s just got a lot of experience in terms of what it takes to be the guy over the course of a 12-month calendar and I just think that that’s something that a younger guy like Justin could learn from.”

While the Steelers were clearly active in the QB market, the team didn’t pursue the biggest available name. Tomlin told reporters (including Pryor) that the Steelers didn’t make a run at Kirk Cousins, who ended up getting $180MM from the Falcons.

Steelers Eyeing Post-2024 Future With Justin Fields, Unlikely To Pick Up Fifth-Year Option

March 20th, 2024 at 10:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

Upon trading for Sam Darnold in 2021, the Panthers quickly picked up their soon-to-be starter’s fifth-year option. With the Steelers taking the interesting step of making it clear recent trade acquisition Justin Fields will not have a chance to begin the season as their starter, they are expected to take a different route regarding his fifth-year option.

The team is “highly unlikely” to exercise Fields’ fifth-year option, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac. Seeing as it would cost Pittsburgh $25.7MM fully guaranteed to pick up Fields’ 2025 option, the team’s plan would effectively make doing so a non-starter. Despite a rocky Denver stint, Russell Wilson has already been assured he will be Pittsburgh’s Week 1 starter.

Although the Steelers are not planning to pick up Fields’ option, Dulac adds they are not viewing Fields as a one-and-done player. The organization has moved into uncertain territory at quarterback, having already expressed interest in pushing Wilson’s contract beyond this year. That will make a post-2024 Fields commitment tricky, but Dulac indicates the 2021 Bears first-rounder is being viewed by the Steelers as the potential quarterback of the future.

Since the 2014 offseason brought the first set of fifth-year option decisions, only one team — the Giants — has circled back to re-signing a QB after passing on his fifth-year option. And the Daniel Jones deal has not started well. Fields also would seemingly be interested in seeing what his 2025 market would look like — perhaps after making starts this season, given Wilson’s up-and-down (mostly down) Broncos tenure — before committing to a team that has already indicated he will not compete for the starting job this offseason.

The Bears wanted a Day 2 pick in a Fields swap, per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin and Brooke Pryor, but most of the teams eyeing Fields did so with an eye on making him a backup. This limited Fields’ market. Fits certainly played a role here, with the Ohio State alum certainly being better than a few teams’ starters at present. But a few QB-needy teams are readying to address those issues in the draft. The Broncos would not have seemed a Fields fit, and they will be linked to a draft addition to pair with Jarrett Stidham. Bears GM Ryan Poles reportedly turned down a better offer to send Fields to a more favorable situation in Pittsburgh, Cronin and Pryor add. Fields indeed wanted to be dealt to the Steelers, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Though, it would be shocking if the offer Poles rejected was significantly better than the Steelers’ proposal.

Wilson, 35, carried a slightly better QBR mark than Fields in 2023 — when the then-Broncos QB bounced back, to a degree, under Sean Payton — but the Steelers going from putting Kenny Pickett in a competition for the starting job to handing Wilson the keys without Fields factoring in represents a somewhat surprising development.

Fields, 25, has certainly shown warts as a passer. But Wilson’s shakier status would make this situation differ from when ex-starters Teddy Bridgewater and Jameis Winston trekked elsewhere to reset behind established starters. Drew Brees held a firm grip on the Saints’ job when they signed Bridgewater and then Winston, while it would certainly not surprise to see Wilson benching rumors emerge — now that the Steelers have acquired a starter-caliber backup — this year.

While the Steelers have significant questions at quarterback beyond 2024, their situation is undoubtedly better than it stood exiting the 2023 season. For now, however, they will walk a tightrope with Wilson and Fields both tentatively in their post-2024 plans. After an uneven three years in Chicago, Fields will begin his contract year in a wildly different situation.

Steelers, Russell Wilson Plan To Discuss New Contract After 2024 Season; More On Justin Fields Trade

March 17th, 2024 at 11:18pm CST by Rory Parks

Despite yesterday’s stunning trade that sent Justin Fields from the Bears to the Steelers, the recently-signed Russell Wilson will remain in place as Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, head coach Mike Tomlin reached out to Wilson before the trade was finalized to let the nine-time Pro Bowler know that his job is safe.

And, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wilson and the Steelers are interested in a multiyear arrangement. While Pittsburgh is paying Wilson the veteran minimum on his one-year deal for 2024 — the Broncos are picking up the rest of Wilson’s $39MM tab — player and team are already planning to explore a “longer deal” at the the end of the season.

It would seem a bit premature to make those types of plans. After all, while Wilson’s second year in Denver was much better than his first, his brief stint with the Broncos was generally a disappointing one. And even if the Steelers do not exercise Fields’ fifth-year option for 2025, it is certainly possible that he impresses enough over the course of the upcoming year to convince Tomlin — long rumored to be a Fields fan — that his newest acquisition is worthy of a new contract and a starting role. Plus, Wilson will be 36 by the end of the 2024 campaign, while Fields just turned 25.

Nonetheless, the fact that these reports are even circulating is evidence of the Steelers’ faith in Wilson. And considering that the club is committing so little salary to him and was able to acquire Fields for a sixth-round draft choice — which will only become a fourth-rounder if Fields plays 51% of Pittsburgh’s offensive snaps in 2024 — the Fields trade will have been worth it even if he simply plays out the season as a high-end insurance policy for Wilson and heads elsewhere next year.

It was not too long ago that Dulac and other Steelers beats unequivocally wrote that the team would not pursue an external addition (like Wilson and Fields) who was eyeing a QB1 role. Per Pro Football Talk, those reports were correct when they were published, but the club has dramatically changed how its views the quarterback position over the past month. During that time, Pittsburgh saw Mason Rudolph sign with the Titans in free agency and subsequently traded Kenny Pickett to the Eagles. Whether Rudolph’s departure is what triggered the shift in organizational philosophy — Dulac et al. had suggested that Rudolph and Pickett could compete for the starting quarterback job in 2024 — is unclear, but one way or another, the Steelers have overhauled their QB room in a short amount of time, and for minimal cost.

Meanwhile, Chicago fans have Caleb Williams to look forward to in the near future, but the club is doubtlessly disappointed that it was unable to fetch a larger return for Fields, the No. 11 overall pick of the 2021 draft. We heard just last week that the Bears were not panicking even when the market for Fields did not develop as hoped, and as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk opines, the club should have continued exercising patience. If GM Ryan Poles was willing to accept a 2025 draft choice in exchange for Fields, he might have waited until the 2024 draft was over to see which teams were left without a passer. He might even have kept Fields on the roster, at least as a backup, and waited to collect a compensatory draft pick if and when Fields signed with a different club as a free agent next March.

Perhaps, as Florio suggests, Poles felt that he was doing the right thing for Fields by trading him sooner rather than later. Regardless of his rationale, Poles did confirm in a statement after the trade was announced that he had been exploring a deal for weeks.

The statement, issued by the club’s official X feed, reads, “We have engaged in multiple trade conversations in recent weeks and believe trading Justin at this time to Pittsburgh is what is best for both Justin and the Bears. Today we spoke to Justin to inform him of the trade and the rationale behind it for us as a Club. We want to thank him for his tireless dedication, leadership and all he poured into our franchise and community the last three years and wish him the best towards a long and successful NFL career.”

Per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, five teams contacted the Bears to dicuss a Fields trade, though all of those clubs viewed Fields as a backup. Poles had hoped that the 2021 trade that sent Sam Darnold from the Jets to the Panthers in exchange for a 2021 sixth-rounder, a 2022 second-rounder, and a 2022 fourth-rounder would provide a framework for a Fields deal, but at the time, Carolina clearly viewed Darnold as a starter. Since rival teams did not feel the same way about Fields, Poles elected to resolve the matter quickly and to start the Williams era with a clean slate.

Bears Trade QB Justin Fields To Steelers

March 16th, 2024 at 11:12pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Bears were finally able to offload quarterback Justin Fields into the trade market today. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that Chicago is trading Fields to the Steelers, where he could potentially compete with newly signed quarterback Russell Wilson for the starting job.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter provides details, telling us that Pittsburgh is sending the Bears a 2025 sixth-round pick that can conditionally become a fourth-round pick, depending on whether or not Fields plays 51 percent of the team’s offensive snaps in 2024. Both teams have announced the deal.

Pittsburgh’s QB room has changed dramatically in recent days, starting with the team’s Wilson deal becoming official. The former Super Bowl winner’s arrival was followed in very short order by a deal sending Kenny Pickett to the Eagles being worked out. The Steelers’ 2022 first-rounder will head to Philadelphia in a pick-swap arrangement. Fields will occupy the vacancy created by Pickett’s departure.

Of course, this deal has led to immediate questions of how Pittsburgh’s depth chart will look in 2024. Rather than Fields entering his first offseason with the team in an opportunity to take over the No. 1 role, it will be Wilson handling starting duties, as reported by both Rapoport’s colleague Tom Pelissero as well as Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Wilson being handed the reins was a key factor in the Pickett deal coming together as quickly as it did.

Fields will firmly be entrenched in the backup spot, though, considering Mason Rudolph (who finished the 2023 campaign as the starter over Pickett) has signed with the Titans. Quarterback play was seen by many as something which had considerable room for improvement in Pittsburgh’s case compared to the post-Ben Roethlisberger options used to date. General manager Omar Khan has moved quickly in re-shaping the depth chart under center. As ESPN’s Ed Werder notes, this offseason marks the first since 1957 that no Steelers signal-caller who played the previous campaign will return for the following one.

The Bears have had a lingering Fields decision to make for the past two offseasons. General manager Ryan Poles had the opportunity to move on from the 2021 11th overall pick last spring, but the team instead elected to forego drafting a passer at the top of the board. The decision to trade last year’s No. 1 pick to the Panthers has left Chicago in a nearly identical situation in 2024, with Poles facing the task of re-committing to Fields or moving on and drafting a rookie (all-but certainly Caleb Williams) with the top selection this April.

Poles’ move last year paved the way for Fields, 25, to cement his status as the quarterback of the future in Chicago. He saw incremental growth in a number of passing categories in 2023 while remaining a threat with his legs. However, Fields’ performance (and that of the team as a whole during the first half of the campaign in particular) was not sufficient to convince Poles to again trade out of the chance to draft a new franchise passer. He, head coach Matt Eberflus and many Bears players publicly praised the Ohio State product but for some time it has been clear a trade would take place.

The matter of Fields’ market has led to challenges for Chicago’s front office. A shortlist of logical landing spots was in place before the outset of free agency, but very few teams made an aggressive push to acquire him knowing Poles was in position to sell at a low price. As one veteran QB domino fell after another this past week – including, perhaps most importantly, Kirk Cousins signing with the Falcons – signs increasingly pointed to Fields being destined for a QB2 gig. A team such as the Rams had been floated as a reasonable spot, but Los Angeles has just added Jimmy Garoppolo as its backup. That left Pittsburgh as one of the few remaining teams without a relatively certain quarterback depth chart in place.

Poles made it clear at the Combine that he wanted Fields’ future to be sorted out as soon as possible. While the Bears have indeed “done right” by him with this deal getting finalized well before the draft, it obviously marks a massive disappointment given the move to trade up and select him three years ago. Like fellow 2021 first-round draftees Trey Lance and Mac Jones, however, Fields has now been dealt to a new team with the possibility of a fresh start. The latter has one year remaining on his rookie contract, but Pittsburgh could add another via the fifth-year option. Picking up that $25.6MM option would come as a major surprise, however, given the fact Wilson will serve as the starter in 2024.

For the coming campaign, though, the Steelers will have a highly cost-effective QB room. Wilson signed for $1.2MM since he is owed $39MM guaranteed from the Broncos. Fields’ 2024 cap hit, meanwhile, will check in at just over $3.2MM. Those two passers will each have plenty to play for in the coming campaign as they spearhead the transition to an offense guided by new OC Arthur Smith and which no longer features wideout Diontae Johnson.

Reacting to the news of the deal, Fields has offered a farewell to Chicago after three seasons in the city. The Bears – a team which has made several moves to augment its skill-position corps this week – will prepare to move in a new direction next moth when they add a passer first overall. As they look to break through for a postseason win for the first time since 2016, meanwhile, the Steelers will boast an intriguing quarterback room featuring little certainty beyond the coming campaign.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Raiders Considering Justin Fields Trade?

March 11th, 2024 at 3:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the Falcons acquiring Kirk Cousins, Justin Fields does not have a clear option to continue his starter career. Though, a team thought to be out may be considering an addition.

The Raiders were believed to be kicking the tires on a Fields-Luke Getsy reunion, The Athletic’s Vic Tafur notes. With the Falcons out of the mix, the Bears may need to bring down their asking price. Although Chicago wanted to deal Fields before free agency, his market has hit a snag.

An example of how fast free agency moves, the Raiders have now agreed to a deal with Gardner Minshew. The Silver and Black are signing Minshew to a two-year agreement. This stands to keep the Fields trail cold. With the Falcons and now likely the Raiders out of the mix, it is worth wondering how the Bears will proceed here.

The Bears did not find the kind of Fields market they hoped for. With the team zeroing in on Caleb Williams, Fields may soon see his 2023 development lead to a demotion. The Raiders, Falcons and Steelers have gone with other options, and the QB-needy Broncos are not expected to be interested in a player who would certainly be an upgrade on Jarrett Stidham. Considering Sean Payton‘s actions with Russell Wilson, it would be unlikely he signs off on Fields running his offense.

Fields also would not seem a fit for Kevin O’Connell‘s offense, and a Bears-Vikings trade would be unlikely. Though, the Drew Bledsoe and Donovan McNabb trades show intra-divisional QB swaps are not out of the question. It will be interesting to see where the Bears go from here, as it does not sound like they are in line to obtain much for their three-year starter at this point.

Latest On Bears’ Quarterback Situation

March 10th, 2024 at 9:17am CST by Ely Allen

MARCH 10: ESPN’s Dan Graziano says the Bears did not find the trade market for Fields that they were hoping for (subscription required). Chicago, however, is not panicking and is willing to allow other quarterback dominos like Cousins and Mayfield to fall. Once some of the top players in the market find new homes or re-sign with their current clubs, there will still be a few QB-needy teams, at which point the interest in Fields should intensify.

While it now seems unlikely that Fields will fetch a second-round pick in a trade, the expectation remains that the Bears will eventually deal him and use the No. 1 pick on Williams.

MARCH 3: The situation of the Bears‘ future at the quarterback position has become quite a loaded topic. The closer we get to the 2024 NFL Draft, the more likely it’s beginning to seem that Chicago is attempting to move current starter Justin Fields as it prepares to move on to potential No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams.

According to Diana Russini of The Athletic, chatter at the NFL scouting combine appeared to be consistent, with most believing that the Bears are moving on from Fields. Barring the team picking up his fifth-year option, 2024 would be the final year on Fields’ rookie contract. Instead of allowing Fields to play out his contract on the bench behind Williams, Chicago seems intent on dealing the 24-year-old and returning some value for a player they would eventually allow to walk in free agency.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tells us that many in the league see Fields garnering a potential Day 2 pick for his services. A second- or third-round pick may not be the ideal result for a former first-round selection, but it’s better than getting nothing when his rookie deal expires. Fowler names the Falcons, Steelers, Raiders, and Vikings as possible teams of interest in Fields’ acquisition. Atlanta has been repeatedly linked to the young passer lately, with many debating whether or not he is the best fit in a Rams-influenced systems under new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson. Fowler reports the chances as “fairly good” that the Falcons walk away with either Fields, Kirk Cousins, or Baker Mayfield, leaving a larger range of possibilities for what Atlanta is looking for.

The Bears have made the claim that they want to “do right” by Fields by not leaving him in a “gray area.” Still, having shown their intentions, the team doesn’t necessarily have the strongest bargaining position. Russini poses that the team may need other moves to influence the demand for Fields. She quotes an NFC general manager who explained, “When people know you are getting rid of something, they don’t pay as much for it.” If a few veteran quarterbacks that are also available get moved and decrease the number of options for quarterback-needy teams, a bidding war for Fields may ensue. In order for that to occur, a number of big quarterback names would need to get signed well before the draft.

The draft serves as an effective deadline because once the Bears draft Williams, Fields becomes superfluous, and it’s seeming more and more likely that Williams will be the pick come late-April. At one point, that seemed to be in question as there were rumors that the USC quarterback may force a trade in an effort to avoid playing for the Bears. Williams has since backed down from that notion, according to Pete Thamel of ESPN, expressing excitement and intrigue in the prospect of heading to Chicago.

“I’m not pushing any agenda,” Williams said. “At the end of the day, the Bears have the last say. Regardless of how I feel, I’m not pushing an agenda of, ‘Yeah, I want to go,’ or ‘no, I don’t want to go.’ I’m excited for whatever comes.”

Still, Williams expressed a healthy interest in the Commanders, as well. Getting drafted to Washington would send Williams back to the area in which he went to high school at Gonzaga College HS. While he acknowledged that it would be cool to be so familiar with the area, he emphasized that his job is going to be in the facility working on his game.

There was also thought to be some concern about Williams’ draft-ability after some recent comments from his father, Carl. Carl was the one who suggested that his son would get “two shots at the apple,” according to Kalyn Kahler of The Athletic, essentially suggesting that if the situation as a No. 1 overall pick isn’t favorable, Williams could simply return to school with his NIL deals. The quote from Williams’ father made the rounds, seeding concern in some scouting circles.

Since then, though, it seems the concern has subsided. The more he was put under the microscope, the more Carl appeared just to be a heavily involved father who was extremely invested in helping his child achieve the peaks of his career and abilities. When asked about the situation at the NFL scouting combine, Bears general manager Ryan Poles claimed that he has “no concerns about” Carl’s comments, at all.

So, things appear to be falling into place. The Williams-era seems well on its way to being ushered in, and the Fields-domino will need to fall soon as a result. With free agency set to open in a week and a half, the demand for Fields may soon grow. It’s up to Chicago to find the perfect time to pull the trigger if they ultimately decide to deal Fields.

Falcons Prefer Kirk Cousins To Justin Fields?

March 3rd, 2024 at 11:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

The team most closely tied to a veteran QB upgrade going into free agency, the Falcons appear readier to come out of this offseason with a more experienced passer than Justin Fields.

Although a recent odds update placed the Falcons atop the list for Fields, some around the league believe the Rams-influenced scheme OC Zac Robinson will implement in Atlanta will lead the team toward pass-first options like Kirk Cousins or Baker Mayfield. If the Vikings or Buccaneers cannot keep their starters off the market, the Falcons appear poised to make a run.

Connected already to being interested in both passers, the Falcons indeed have done work on the veterans. The Vikings are “loosely bracing” for Cousins to remain unsigned by the March 11 legal tampering period and test the market, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler indicates. This would open the door for the Falcons to talk to the free agent-to-be, with Fowler adding the team has done plenty of work on Cousins, Fields and Mayfield.

Mayfield has some ties to the new Falcons staff, with Robinson being his position coach during his brief Rams stint and Raheem Morris in place as Los Angeles’ DC at that point. The team has some degree of interest here. Fields is a Georgia native, and while the Falcons passed on the Ohio State product in 2021, some buzz has pointed the Bears QB to his home-state team. As it stands, the Falcons appear in good position to come away with one of these QBs this offseason, per Fowler.

Cousins may be the team’s top target. A Saturday report indicated the Falcons would compete for Cousins, and ESPN’s Dan Graziano takes it a step further by adding the team should be expected to make a strong pursuit of the six-year Vikings starter if he is unsigned by the tampering period. The Vikings and Cousins are still talking, but no Minnesota offer has satisfied the 35-year-old QB yet. The Vikings and Cousins have come to terms on three contracts — in 2018, 2020 and 2022 — but could not agree on a fourth deal last year. Guarantees stood as the sticking point there, and the Vikings are in crunch time with the rehabbing passer now.

Minnesota failing to reach an agreement with Cousins by the start of the 2024 league year (March 13) would bring $28.5MM in dead money onto its 2024 cap. Void years added as part of last year’s restructure will lead to that outcome. The Vikings ate some void years-driven dead money for losing Dalvin Tomlinson last year, but the Cousins figure would obviously bring more trouble by comparison.

Fields may well be taking a backseat to Cousins for Atlanta, per Graziano. This would be a pricier proposition for the Falcons, as Cousins — he of $231MM-plus in career earnings — is quite adept at maximizing his value. Fields also can be kept on a rookie salary this season, as his fifth-year option number — a decision due in May — would affect 2025. But Cousins has certainly been the more dependable passer. Though, if alternate invites are excluded, the ex-Washington draftee has one career Pro Bowl nod. Fields is 11 years younger, at 24, but has not shown himself to be a stable option as a passer just yet.

The Falcons are eager to upgrade on Desmond Ridder, and two years after widely believed to have finished second for Deshaun Watson, the team appears prepared to spend to acquire such help. One of the above-referenced trio should probably be expected to become Atlanta’s starter next season. Which one will end up in Georgia?

Falcons Interested In Baker Mayfield?

February 29th, 2024 at 10:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

Linked closely to quarterbacks this offseason, the Falcons may be moving close to landing their next starter. Justin Fields-to-Atlanta buzz is heating up, but the NFC South team also looks to be interested in Baker Mayfield — potentially as a contingency plan.

The Buccaneers have begun talks with Mayfield, who would stand to lose some leverage if the Falcons complete a Fields trade soon. But Atlanta is believed to be in the mix for Mayfield, according to Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline. It would take the Bucs failing to complete a Mayfield deal to bring the Falcons into this equation, however. The Bucs’ exclusive negotiating rights expire at 11am CT on March 11, when the legal tampering period begins.

Last year, the Giants and Seahawks needed to pin down the markets for Daniel Jones and Geno Smith, respectively. Both teams reached deals with their QBs to keep them off the market. The Bucs are in the same situation, and it will require a big raise for them to keep Tom Brady‘s successor in town. Mayfield is expected to draw at least $34MM per year on his next deal, per Pauline, who throws out a $40MM-AAV prospect as a potential ceiling number.

The Giants giving Jones $40MM per annum could conceivably be a factor here, and that contract included $81MM fully guaranteed. Mayfield’s guarantee figure will be one of this offseason’s most interesting numbers, given where his value stood after poor 2021 and ’22 seasons. A team shelling out a Jones-level guarantee would certainly be taking a risk.

The Falcons do have some staffers familiar with Mayfield. New OC Zac Robinson was Mayfield’s position coach during his brief stay with the Rams, with Raheem Morris obviously observing the former waiver claim in that span as well.

Mayfield going from where he was entering last year’s free agency to his present value remains a fascinating process, one that underscores the supply-and-demand issue at quarterback. Other suitors are in on Mayfield, per Pauline, though it is not certain how aggressive the non-Bucs contingent plans to be. It would stand to reason the Raiders, Broncos and perhaps the Vikings — depending on their Kirk Cousins conclusion — are monitoring Mayfield. The Steelers have been linked to Fields, though they have also been connected to a plan of bringing in a veteran to compete with Kenny Pickett. Given where Mayfield’s price might be, he is overqualified for that assignment despite needing to win the Tampa Bay job last summer.

The Bucs likely have Mayfield atop their priority queue, but they also are believed to be readying to use their franchise tag on Antoine Winfield Jr. It would be a bit of a leap for the Bucs to tag Mayfield, as that would cost more than $38MM. Even if Mayfield’s AAV could wind up in this ballpark — a staggering raise from the $4MM base salary he signed for in 2023 — that would be a crippling cap hold for the Bucs to carry into free agency. That said, the team just qualified for the divisional round with Brady’s $35.1MM dead-money sum on the books.

Regarding Fields and the Falcons, a DraftKings Sportsbook update places this as the runaway lead fit by slotting Atlanta as a minus-250 favorite for the Chicago QB. The Bears hope to finalize a Fields decision before free agency, with GM Ryan Poles indicating he wants to do right by the three-year starter. Chicago is on track to draft Caleb Williams with its Carolina-obtained No. 1 pick, and while that is not yet final, Fields is widely expected to be wearing a different uniform in 2024.

If the Falcons do not end up with the Georgia native — whom they passed on in 2021 — a Mayfield push could become intense for a team that has wanted to upgrade on Desmond Ridder since the season ended.

Bears Hope To Make Justin Fields Decision Before Free Agency

February 28th, 2024 at 10:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

Had the Panthers sustained the form they showed under Steve Wilks, Justin Fields is likely preparing for his fourth season as the Bears’ starter. Because Carolina produced the first 15-loss season in the 17-game era, Fields will probably be on the move soon.

The Bears obtaining the top pick via the Bryce Young trade has them surveying this year’s top college arms. Caleb Williams is the clear frontrunner to be Chicago’s starting quarterback next season, with a recent report indicating the Bears’ decision no longer involves a Williams-or-Fields call but rather a choice between which QB the team will select at No. 1. This places Fields in limbo.

Connected to the Falcons and Steelers, Fields also spent two years under new Raiders OC Luke Getsy. Though, Las Vegas is not viewed as a likely destination for the three-year Chicago starter. Denver probably should not be, either, considering Russell Wilson‘s clunky fit in Sean Payton‘s offense. Regardless of where Fields goes — if, in fact, the Bears are ready to move him — GM Ryan Poles wants this process done soon.

The team that made the most similar trade — the 2021 Jets, who moved three-year starter Sam Darnold before selecting Zach Wilson second overall — did not complete the move until April 5 of that year. Poles, however, bucked tradition last year by trading the Panthers the No. 1 pick before free agency. That is the earliest any team has knowingly moved a No. 1 overall pick since the NFL camped its draft in April in 1976. Fields wants this process to be settled, and Poles would not mind having it done by free agency’s outset.

“I would love to know as soon as possible. I would love to know, but I know that’s not how the process works. Sure, before free agency would be good,” Poles said, via ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin. “Like I said, I’m also taking, if we were to do something with Justin, I want to do right by him and I know, again, living in that gray space, we would want to do something sooner rather than later.

“But just like I talk about with contracts, it takes two teams to figure that out, but at the same time, we’re also trying to figure out the draft process as well. There’s a lot of different things with different timelines going and that’s what makes it a little difficult.”

Two years remain on Fields’ rookie contract, and his next team will face a fifth-year option call May 2. The Panthers picked up Darnold’s option upon acquiring him; it should be expected Fields’ next team does the same. With the salary cap now set, Fields’ fifth-year option — which will come in on Tier 3 of the four-tiered format — will cost $25.6MM. Determining trade value also represents a potential stumbling block here, as other QB-needy teams gauge how they want to proceed. The Bears have been hearing from teams regarding Fields’ value for several weeks now, however.

The Commanders and Patriots have easier paths to addressing their position. The teams that do not hold top-three draft real estate and could use a veteran presumably represent the array of clubs with which Poles has been in contact. Fields would be a much cheaper alternative — for the time being, at least — to Kirk Cousins. The Vikings, who are not a realistic Fields destination due to being an NFC North team, are in talks with their six-year starter. But Cousins could shake up the QB market by testing free agency.

Should the Bears wait beyond free agency’s primary period to trade Fields, the market would narrow. Should Chicago make its latest big-picture QB move before the market opens, it would need to strike by 11am CT on March 11, when the legal tampering period begins.

Latest On Steelers’ QB Situation, Possible Justin Fields Pursuit

February 25th, 2024 at 10:31pm CST by Rory Parks

Last week, we heard that the Steelers were interested in re-signing quarterback Mason Rudolph and having him compete with 2022 first-rounder Kenny Pickett to be the club’s starting signal-caller. Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that, even if the Steelers are unsuccessful in their pursuit of a Rudolph re-up, the club will not consider an external addition who is eyeing a QB1 role. Naturally, that would rule out a passer like Justin Fields, who is widely expected to be traded by the Bears.

On the same day that Dulac’s piece was published, however, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (subscription required) wrote that Pittsburgh will, in fact, acquire via trade or free agency a quarterback who can push Pickett for the starting job, and that such a quarterback would be “more than a stopgap.” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is reportedly a fan of Fields, and Fowler said that the rumblings connecting Fields to Pittsburgh are intensifying.

For a team like Pittsburgh that, as Fowler observes, could be just a quarterback away from championship contention, adding a clear upgrade over Pickett would make plenty of sense. But Mark Kaboly of The Athletic is aligned with Dulac, his fellow Steelers beat writer (subscription required). Kaboly confidently avers that the team is not going to go after Fields, and that while there may be a competition between Rudolph and Pickett if Rudolph is re-signed, Pickett will get one last chance to prove his worth before Pittsburgh looks outside the organization.

While these starkly contrasting reports between a national writer and two beats add to the uncertainty of the Steelers’ quarterback situation, it continues to look like there is no uncertainty concerning Fields’ future in Chicago. Though the Ohio State product recently said he would like to remain with the Bears — as relayed by Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times — Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune does not believe there is any internal debate as to whether the club should keep Fields in lieu of using its No. 1 overall draft choice (or a slightly lower choice in the event of a small trade down) on a top collegiate prospect. Rather, the real question is simply which passer in the 2024 draft class the Bears like the best.

Per Biggs, it is at least conceivable that the Bears retain Fields if they do not find a trade offer to their liking, but a trade is their preference. Previous reports have indicated that the team would finalize its QB plan one way or another by the start of the scouting combine (which opens tomorrow), and it sounds as if that plan is indeed to seek a suitor for Fields. Biggs says there is no disconnect on that point between GM Ryan Poles and team president Kevin Warren.

Expect plenty more Chicago-related rumors this week as team brass discusses its incumbent passer — and perhaps the No. 1 selection in the upcoming draft — with rival clubs.

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