QB Fields is sent to the AFC by the Bears in exchange for two picks, possibly the first overall…….

QB Fields is sent to the AFC by the Bears in exchange for two picks, possibly the first overall…….

With free agency starting in March and the NFL Draft happening about six weeks later, the subject of Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields’ trade worth is still relevant.

Fields is the subject of ongoing trade rumours because the Bears, who hold the top overall pick in April, could use it to select a new signal-caller. If that’s the case, Chicago will pitch Fields to potential bidders over the course of the next few weeks while the team looks for the best deal.

On Friday, January 26, Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports wrote a trade proposal that sent Fields to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for a third-round pick this year and a conditional third-round pick in 2025 that might go as high as a second or even first round pick depending on Fields’ performance in the desert. The Raiders also received a sixth-round selection in 2025.

“The Raiders must make the playoffs in 2025 for the Bears to receive the No. 77 overall (third-round pick) pick in 2025, which becomes a second-round selection if Fields plays 75% of the snaps and a first-round selection otherwise,” Trapasso said.

Trapasso’s trade plan gives the Raiders insurance against injury, regression, and stagnant development while placing Fields at a value higher than a first-round pick.

Fields, who was drafted in the first round in 2021 (at pick No. 11 overall), had genuine MVP talk going into his third season as a professional in 2023. Fields’ most vocal supporters believed that he would develop into a better passer, but his inconsistent play—which resulted in a 1-4 start and a thumb injury in Week 6—decreased his value as a return specialist around the league.

“Given Fields’ potential, many teams would be eager to try their hand at developing him, but unless he continues to play like the guy from the Denver Broncos and Washington Commanders games, I wouldn’t be shocked if Chicago was able to select [Caleb] Williams and acquired a first-round pick for Fields in a trade this offseason,” ESPN’s Bill Barnwell wrote on October 19.

Before suffering an injury against the Minnesota Vikings in Weeks 4 and 5, Fields threw four touchdowns in each of those games. After missing the following four games, he made a comeback on November 19 against the Detroit Lions.

Fields’ offensive production never recovered following his return, although in the final seven games of the season, he scored eight touchdowns against just three interceptions, helping the Bears to a 4-3 record.

In January, NFL executives told Jeremy Fowler and Courtney Cronin on ESPN that Fields’ trade value was comparable to a second- or third-round choice.

But it’s difficult to find quarterbacks with the ability to start on cost-controlled contracts. Even more uncommon are those possessing Fields’ physical skill set, and even in the unlikely event that the Bears choose a quarterback, they are not required to trade Fields.

A contract with the Raiders or another team may be reached after the free agency quarterback musical chairs concludes and before the draft. It might also happen after the draft, when fewer clubs remain in need of a quarterback but are more desperate since they haven’t been able to locate a suitable replacement for him at quarterback.

The idea that Fields can’t return a first-round pick is something Chicago fans shouldn’t accept if Bears general manager Ryan Poles is prepared to wait. In the worst case scenario, Williams or another very gifted rookie quarterback may sit behind Fields for a year while studying Chicago’s offence and the NFL. The Bears can then go back to the trade market in the offseason of 2025 or before the 2024 regular season deadline.