Justin Fields Traded to Steelers from Bears for 2025 Draft Pick, Joins Russell Wilson

Scott Polacek@@ScottPolacekFeatured Columnist IVMarch 16, 2024

Justin Casterline/Getty Images

Justin Fields’ time as QB1 of the Chicago Bears is officially over.

Chicago traded the quarterback to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday, the Steelers announced:

Pittsburgh Steelers @steelersWe have acquired QB Justin Fields from the Chicago Bears in exchange for a 2025 conditional sixth-round pick. @BordasLaw

📝: https://t.co/ciLZkmSMgO pic.twitter.com/gXj88A71ja

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network first reported the news.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reported the Steelers sent a 2025 sixth-round draft pick that can become a fourth-round selection if Fields plays in 51 percent of the Steelers’ plays in 2024.

What Chicago would do with the quarterback position was one of the most intriguing storylines heading into the offseason ahead of the 2024 campaign. It was in the rare position of finishing with a 7-10 record and not being eliminated from playoff contention until the penultimate week of the season and still having the No. 1 overall pick of the draft.

It landed that pick as part of the trade with the Carolina Panthers that brought DJ Moore and other draft capital to the Bears in exchange for the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft.

While Fields has taken notable strides during his first three seasons in the league, the No. 1 pick also meant Chicago could select USC’s Caleb Williams if the front office saw him as a potentially transcendent building block for an organization that has so long searched for a franchise quarterback.

However, it also gave the front office the ability to trade the pick for another haul or perhaps draft someone like Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. as another weapon if it believed in Fields.

It apparently didn’t believe in Fields enough to keep him.

This is the next step in an up-and-down start to the quarterback’s career after the Bears selected him with the No. 11 overall pick of the 2021 draft.

NFL @NFLJustin Fields was in playmaker mode on Sunday 🕹️ pic.twitter.com/wjgDG7TWTW

He started his career behind veteran Andy Dalton but was quickly thrown into the lineup with a poor offensive line and lackluster weapons around him. His rookie season was also Matt Nagy’s final one as the head coach of the Bears, so he had to adjust to a new coach and offensive coordinator early in his career.

That adjustment came in 2022 with head coach Matt Eberflus and since-fired offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, and Fields flashed his electrifying playmaking ability while running for 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns. There were still concerns with his overall ceiling as a passer, but the talent was on full display.

Expectations were raised in 2023 after Chicago landed Moore to give Fields a game-changing weapon for the first time.

While the team started 2-7 and didn’t seem to be any closer to contending status, things started to change down the stretch. The Bears didn’t make the playoffs, but they went 5-3 in the final eight games and inspired enough optimism from the fans that they started chanting in support of Fields in the final home game:

B/R Gridiron @brgridiron🗣️ We Want Fields

Bears already have their QB1 🔥

(via @BDR374)pic.twitter.com/YfnD15iSbv

It wasn’t difficult to see a path to quick contention with Fields developing into a dual-threat playmaker, Moore anchoring the receiving unit, and young offensive linemen such as Darnell Wright, Teven Jenkins and Braxton Jones finally giving the quarterback some much-needed protection.

However, that path was dramatically altered with Saturday’s trade.

Instead, the Bears will likely turn their attention toward using the No. 1 pick to find their next franchise quarterback. And Fields will look to continue his development with the Steelers and perhaps make Chicago regret the decision to move on from him with this move.

Pittsburgh’s offense could take significant strides in 2024.

Between Fields’ ability to take off as a runner and the talent already in place with George Pickens and Najee Harris, the ceiling is now much higher for the AFC North team than it was during its 10-7 season in 2023.

And that is trouble for the rest of the teams in a loaded division that didn’t feature a single record under .500 last season, although Fields will have to beat out Russell Wilson for the starting job to make that a reality.