Until Justin Fields finds a new home in the NFL, there's not a chance that the Fields-to-Pittsburgh trade talk is going away any time soon. The Chicago Bears have already made it clear that Fields isn't going to be part of the future plan after Caleb Williams fell into their lap, while the Steelers are desperate for quarterback competition.
Quite frankly, there aren't a lot of teams out there who are likely going to dive into the Justin Fields sweepstakes. The teams picking early (like the Bears, Commanders, and Patriots) are already in a prime position to draft a franchise-altering quarterback while pairing Fields with former OC Luke Getsy in Las Vegas seems like anything but a match.
The Falcons are the only other team that seems to be heavily in the running when it comes to a Justin Fields trade, though it's possible that an outside team or two could get into the mix.
But what would that look like exactly? Nobody wants the Steelers to give up outstanding draft capital for a quarterback entering his fourth NFL season who hasn't seen the improvements we would have liked. Here's what a projected Steelers-Bears trade could look like this offseason.
Steelers make a moderate investment for the chance at a franchise QB
Based on a previous mock trade from Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus, as well as my value estimation, I think that the Pittsburgh Steelers could likely trade for Justin Fields at the cost of their second-round pick this season as well as a fourth-round pick in 2025. Though this seems like a steep price for a quarterback with just one year remaining on his rookie deal and who needs a fifth-year option, it's the price you pay to take a stab at landing a franchise quarterback.
The Bears would likely unload Fields to the Steelers at this price. While a first-round pick is desired, I would be shocked if they received any suitors willing to offer up a package that steep.
Fields will get an opportunity for a fresh start in Pittsburgh while the Bears would receive much-needed draft capital as they move on with their next quarterback and rebuild the foundation of their roster. There's a chance the Steelers could sweeten the deal by including a player on a rookie contract or even a quality veteran, but Mike Tomlin isn't likely to sign off on a trade that could weaken their roster at another position.
This trade means that Pittsburgh would be without their second-round pick in a very good 2024 draft class, but that might be a small price to pay when trying to find stability at the quarterback position. As a counterpoint, many fans might prefer to use this draft capital to move up for a signal-caller in the 2024 NFL Draft or perhaps take one on Day 2 instead.
While Fields still has to improve his consistency as a passer, it's worth remembering that he will be just 25 years old for the entire 2024 season, and if he does prove himself, he could be the starting quarterback in Pittsburgh for years.
If the Pittsburgh Steelers made this trade, there's no question that Justin Fields would be the immediate starter -- pushing Kenny Pickett to the QB2 role. Despite the comments Art Rooney II made that a trade for a QB is 'unlikely', it certainly seems like this is very possible, and the price could be right for both teams involved.