Justin Fields Traded To Pittsburgh Steelers, Clearing Way For Caleb Williams
The Chicago Bears made the long-expected move on Saturday, trading quarterback Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
On its face, the return for Fields seems light, with the Bears receiving just a 6th round pick in 2025 for the 25-year-old. Though according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, that pick could adjust to a 4th rounder based on Fields' playing time in Pittsburgh.
Though based on the initial reports around the trade, playing time for Fields may be hard to come by. The Steelers are still expected to start newly acquired quarterback Russell Wilson with Fields backing him up.
Fields responded to the trade with a post on X thanking the city of Chicago and the Bears organization.
"Can’t say thank you enough to the city of Chicago for taking me in and embracing me," Fields wrote. "Thank you to the entire Bears organization and ownership for allowing me the opportunity to be part of such a historic franchise. But most of all, thank you to all my brothers that I played with. You all were the reason I attacked each day the way I did. I can’t thank you all enough for what y’all have meant to me over the last 3 years through the ups and downs. I wish each one of you nothing but success. Ready for this next chapter!"
Justin Fields of the Chicago Bears. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Pittsburgh Steelers Made Sense For Justin Fields, Path Now Cleared For Caleb Williams
OutKick's Armando Salguero essentially predicted on Friday that the Steelers were the most logical landing spot for Fields.
With the Bears widely expected to take Caleb Williams with the first overall pick, Fields had little chance to remain the starter in Chicago. Especially in the long term. And with Saturday's trade, Williams now becomes a near certainty to go first in the upcoming draft and start for the 2024 season.
While there had been rumors that the Bears may trade the top overall pick, especially considering Williams' father's concerns and potential demands, the franchise clearly decided that it was committed to taking the 22-year-old Williams.
Fields did show improvement in his three seasons in Chicago, with a career best 86.3 rating in 2023. But Caleb Williams offers upside that few other college football players are capable of. The Bears have plenty of needs outside of quarterback, but their starter for 2024 is now set. And it's not Justin Fields.