Bears quarterback Justin Fields' future in Chicago has just gotten a little more blurry recently.
Bears General Manager Ryan Poles said he wants to keep options open while doing right by Justin Fields.
"It just depends on what opportunities pop up," Poles said when asked if he'd prefer to trade Fields early in free agency.
He adds, "I will say this: If we go down that road, I wanna do right by Justin as well. No one wants to live in gray. I know that's uncomfortable. I wouldn't want to be in that situation either. So we'll gather the information. We'll move as quickly as possible. We're not going to be in a rush. And (we'll) see what presents itself and what's best for the organization."
The Bears find themselves in an interesting situation ahead of the NFL Free Agency and the NFL Draft.
They have to decide on Justin Fields' future with the Bears or trade him and draft quarterback Caleb Williams with the No.1 pick in the NFL draft.
Plenty of teams will likely make a convincing effort to trade for the number one overall pick with a guaranteed chance of landing Williams. Some may also want to take a chance on Fields, who has proven to be a starting caliber quarterback in the league at times; and another team may be able to put him in a better situation than in Chicago.
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Chicago Bears: Keep or Trade Justin Fields?
Based on Poles' quote, you can say that Fields' time in Chicago may be up; simultaneously, you can make a strong case that the Bears should keep the young quarterback.
Fields, who was drafted with the No.11 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, is coming off a disappointing season, finishing 7-10.
Despite that, he had moments of brilliance under Matt Eberflus, Chicago Bears head coach. He became the fourth quarterback in NFL history to have 5,000 passing yards and 1,500 rushing yards in their first 30 starts.
Fields is entering his final season in Chicago and will be owed 1.6 million for the 2024 season with a team option for 2025 available.
Keeping him for another year in Chicago, doubling down, and improving the structure around him should be the plan for Chicago; who would like to compete in a competitive NFC North come the 2024 season.
Quarterback Options for the Bears
The Bears have plenty of options going into free agency and the draft.
If the Bears opt to trade Fields, they'll have a chance to draft USC quarterback Caleb Williams, who proved his value by winning the Heisman Trophy in 2022. Williams has been deemed the consensus best quarterback prospect in this year's NFL Draft.
The USC quarterback is coming off a season where he threw for 3,633 passing yards, 30 touchdowns, and five interceptions.
Pooles said the talent in the upcoming draft puts the Bears in a rather unique position.
"I would say our approach is exactly the same (as 2023) with the No.1 pick. Obviously, we chose to trade back last year, and I think that helped our team out a lot," Poles said.
Poles said the Bears are meeting with a number of quarterbacks this week, including Caleb Williams, who has dismissed rumors about him not wanting to come to Chicago.
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