Most eyes will be laser-focused on the prospects in attendance at the NFL Combine this week. It should also be noted that every team will have varying degrees of representation during the week of workouts in Indianapolis. Prospects will try to raise their draft stocks, but other things transpire during this week of draft evaluation.
Plenty of clubs will talk from one General manager to another in hopes of working out different deals. Players will be spoken to about contract extensions. And others will be starting to potentially feel the waters about what their free agency market will be. The Steelers and Bears have remained connected in trade talks over the past couple of years and it won't stop now.
Justin Fields could be traded to the Steelers sometime this week
According to Bears General Manager Ryan Poles, the team wants to make some clarity happen on their quarterback front. They have Fields under contract for another season but need to decide on his fifth-year option by May. They also hold the top pick in the upcoming draft, which many believe they will use on the top quarterback available in Caleb Williams.
Fields remains hot in trade rumors, and it seems like the Falcons, Steelers, and Raiders could be some of the teams to have interest. He is a former top pick in the draft and shows a lot of good abilities that many want in a franchise player. Some believe that he might just need a change of scenery to get better. In reality, he just needs to cut down on his turnovers.
Pittsburgh makes sense as a landing spot for the young quarterback. Mason Rudolph remains a pending free agent and Kenny Pickett is in a bad spot heading into next year. Fields would provide more explosive plays on offense, but his turnover rate is concerning. If Poles were willing to take lesser value, then this trade could make sense for the Steelers.
They shouldn't pay a high draft pick for a one-year tryout for Fields essentially, but it could be worth the risk on the cheaper end of things. It is not a done deal, but the black and gold have remained a top team rumored to have interest. If Poles is true to his word and wants to get a trade done soon, then maybe Fields could be a member of the Steelers by the end of this week.
Right now, most of the speculation has the Bears asking for a second-round pick or higher for Fields. That is a steep price, and one Pittsburgh would likely refuse to pay. It seems like a poker game going on between Poles and individuals like Omar Khan. Chicago doesn't want to be robbed again in a trade, but they seem to be getting desperate to move on from Fields based on what Poles said this week.