The Bears receive only a conditional draft pick for quarterback Justin Fields in what is an anticlimactic end to a talk-radio debate in Chicago. He’s going to Pittsburgh.
Clearing the deck for a new quarterback — almost certain to be Caleb Williams — the Bears agreed to trade 2021 first-round pick Justin Fields to Pittsburgh on Saturday night. They are receiving only a conditional draft pick in what is an anticlimactic end to a talk-radio debate in Chicago.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the cost for Fields was only a 2025 fifth-round pick that converts to a fourth-rounder if Fields plays at least 51 percent of snaps with the Steelers. This is a far cry from deals that have been speculated on since the Bears wrapped up a chance to draft first overall with a pick they had received from Carolina.
Fields finished 2023 strong and had the vocal support of many teammates. But he did not seem in demand as the quarterback carousel spun wildly last week, with a series of free-agent signings and trades, including Pittsburgh’s addition of Denver discard Russell Wilson.
Some analysts interpreted the lack of a Bears trade as a sign that General Manager Ryan Poles could stick with Fields, possibly trading back in the draft with the first pick. But the deal with the Steelers strongly suggests that the bottom dropped out of the market for Fields when Atlanta signed free agent Kirk Cousins and Washington traded 2023 starter Sam Howell to Seattle.
The Commanders hold the second pick and appear prepared to select a quarterback from the list behind USC’s Williams — LSU’s Jayden Daniels, North Carolina’s Drake Maye or Michigan’s J.
