Where Will Bears’ QB Justin Fields Land?

As quarterback Justin Fields’ time in Chicago appears to come to a close, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been identified as a possible landing spot for the third-year former first-round draft pick.

Weeks after the Steelers were reported to have no interest in signing a big-name quarterback to compete with their current starter Kenny Pickett, they doubled down on the trade internally showing little interest in a potential trade for Fields despite the Chicago Bears’ advertising of their dual-threat quarterback ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft.

USA Today recently reported that the Steelers have shown some level of interest in Fields, as the dynamic running and passing threat that Fields offers seems to fit their offense perfectly; but that seems opposite to almost everything else that has come from inside the team.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and the rest of the Pittsburgh coaching staff have been committed to giving Pickett, their 2022 first-round pick, another opportunity to prove himself.

It is still possible that there will be competition under center for Pittsburgh, perhaps in the form of a more experienced veteran in free agency like Ryan Tannehill, who has a history with their new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. It just seems that the Steelers want someone who would compete with, and not immediately replace Pickett. Theoretically, Fields could fall into that category, but with three years of starting experience and significantly better individual statistics than Pickett, the Steelers would likely be forced into starting Fields on a regular basis.

This thinking may change after the Steelers announced the signing of Russell Wilson.

If this “logical” landing spot doesn’t end up being the destination for Fields, another potential target could be the New England Patriots. Experts had considered the Atlanta Falcons and Las Vegas Raiders as potential teams for Fields but quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Gardner Minshew recently signed deals with them, respectively. The Patriots just parted ways with quarterback Mac Jones and will be looking for a reliable replacement for the 2024-25 season.