In a franchise-altering decision for the Bears, Ryan Poles opted to trade Justin Fields to the Steelers for a conditional sixth-round pick in 2025, sources confirmed to NBC Sports Chicago's Josh Schrock.
The Bears players' reactions were mixed, as they found it hard to say goodbye to a quarterback they ultimately supported as their own. One former Bears player, Trevis Gipson, took it a step further, throwing shade at the organization.
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Fields has been rumored to be traded for most of the offseason. Most believed all along the Bears will use the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft to draft USC's Caleb Williams. That's a certainty now since the Bears have traded Fields.
Initial reports suggested the Bears could yield as much as a second-round pick for Fields. Unfortunately, free agency hampered his value, as several quarterbacks signed with the spots that resounded most with Fields. Russell Wilson was one of those quarterbacks, signing with the Steelers.
Fields will become the backup in Pittsburgh behind Wilson, according to several reports. For the Bears to earn a fourth-round pick from the Steelers, he would need to defy the odds and play 51% of snaps for the team during the 2024 season. It's all but likely this pick will not convey into a fourth-rounder and remain in the sixth round in the 2025 NFL draft.
Fields played three seasons in Chicago, racking up 6,674 yards, 40 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in 40 games. The Bears drafted him with the No. 11 pick in the 2021 NFL draft after trading up in the draft to acquire him out of Ohio State.
