6 reasons why the Chicago Bears made the right decision to trade Justin Fields
By Dakota Wayne
Reason No. 1: Justin Fields is due money soon, Chicago Bears would be committed long-term
Entering his fourth season, Justin Fields is soon to be requiring a contract extension. Given the body of work representing his play, it's harder to fork over the money it would take to keep Justin Fields as the starting quarterback.
As Bears fans have found out over the past two off-seasons, it's not too bad having pockets full of cash. Some fans could argue that Poles wasn't active during free agency, but big flashy signings aren't his MO. Re-signing home-grown talent is the preference of Ryan Poles, so being able to bring back Jaylon Johnson with that money holds a higher precedent than going out and signing top Free Agent A to a massive deal.
After being drafted by the Chicago Bears, Fields signed a four-year contract worth $18.8 million, with a fifth-year option. Had the Bears kept Fields this year, they'd owe him approximately $4.7 million and be faced with the option of picking up his fifth year.
Russell Wilson in.
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) March 18, 2024
Kenny Pickett out.
Justin Fields in.#HereWeGo re-shaped their QB room this offseason and now the questions are: is this a competition? Russ extension? Fields package?
Wild, wild times in the offseason carousel.#NFL #NFLFreeAgency #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/cLCk1SDuH8
The fifth-year option can be a bit tricky, but the value of that fifth-year option is based on three things: position, playing time, and Pro Bowl selections. For starters, Justin Fields' position is quarterback. Next, Justin Fields wasn't selected for any Pro Bowls. Lastly, Justin Fields played in 72.85% of offensive snaps while on the Bears. Based on the league's calculations, Justin Fields' fifth-year option would be $25,664,000 with an AAV of just under $ 9 million.
Though the AAV of $9-million is nice, the cap hit of $25-million makes it a tough bargain.
Now, it's possible to do what the Giants did with Daniel Jones when they signed him to a four-year contract for $160 million. But, that's committing long-term to someone who might not be the solution long-term. A deal for Fields closer to what Green Bay gave Jordan Love seems a bit more likely for Fields' next contract.
The rookie quarterback on a rookie deal, however, is the most ideal of the options presented.