The Eagles have long been attached to Justin Fields as an ideal landing spot for the fourth-year quarterback.
That rang true, as the Eagles reportedly checked in with the Bears about Fields before acquiring Kenny Pickett from the Steelers on Friday, according to reports. Dan Graziano reported his findings on ESPN on Sportscenter.
"The Eagles, from what I understand talking to sources around the league, were one of the teams that had talked to the Bears about Justin Fields, but obviously could not get to the point where they agreed on a price, so they traded for Pickett," Graziano said.
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MORE: Kenny Pickett trade could give Bears lifeline in search for Justin Fields trade partner
On Friday, the Eagles traded for Pickett and a 2024 fourth-round pick (No. 120) with the Steelers in exchange for a 2024 third-round pick (No. 98) and two 2025 seventh-round picks.
Multiple reports have said the Bears haven't necessarily been shopping Fields but have taken calls about him. But this begs a couple of questions. What price did the Eagles offer and the Bears decline? And was the Bears' motivation to decline backed by price or an intention to keep Fields?
By all indications, the Bears plan to trade Fields and draft USC's Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. That's proven to be likely, seeing as the Bears are taking trade calls about him.
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But clearly, Ryan Poles feels he can get a better price for Fields than what the Eagles offered. The price couldn't have been far off of Pickett's, which yielded the Steelers a third-round pick and two Day 3 picks. Initially, multiple reports revealed the Bears were expected to receive a second- or third-round pick for him. Alas, he remains on the team.
The Bears appear to have two routes with Fields in the trade market at this juncture. Pickett's departure from Pittsburgh opens up the opportunity for the Steelers and Bears to shake hands on a trade for Fields. They only signed Russell Wilson to a one-year deal. And Fields has an open future past this season. That could make for a solid backup plan in Pittsburgh.
MORE: When will the Bears trade Justin Fields? Here's a potential strategy for the front office
If it's not Pittsburgh, it's all the more likely the Bears will wait until the draft to field offers for Fields. There, they can see which teams miss out on drafting a quarterback to sell them Fields.
At this juncture, the expected results for the 2024 NFL draft are to see three quarterbacks go in the first three picks to the Bears, Commanders and Patriots. That'll likely be Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels, barring any surprises.
After that, the Giants, Vikings, Raiders and possibly the Steelers and Seahawks could all be looking for quarterbacks. After the top three, it's Michigan's J.J. McCarthy, Washington's Michael Penix Jr. and Oregon's Bo Nix as potential first-round quarterbacks.
The Bears could play the waiting game, looking out for teams who miss on a signal caller in the draft. Then they could shop Fields and hope his price increases based on the demand for quarterbacks.
At this point, it's likely Fields will become a backup next season. But, where? Stay tuned.