A Justin Fields trade will affect the dynamic of the Chicago Bears

At this point, it seems more likely that the Chicago Bears will trade Justin Fields to move on and draft Caleb Williams at the top of the 2024 NFL Draft. While it will be tough for fans and players to swallow, it is essential to understand why this trade could sting and create an extra responsibility for Williams if he does become a Bear.

Fields has been with the Bears for three years, and each year, he went through growing pains with his and the team's development. While there was a lot of turmoil between coaching and GM changes, personnel changes, and criticism of his abilities, Fields continued to work hard and keep the respect of his coaches and teammates. That is why we have seen multiple Bears players backing their quarterback and hoping he will be their leader again next season. That is why the Bears fans gave Justin Fields a standing ovation and warm goodbye after his last home game.

Every football fan understands that this is a business. The Bears are doing their homework on quarterbacks, as they are with every position, and if they think they can improve they should do so. If the Bears think Williams will help them take the next step, he should be the team's next quarterback. Still, not only will he have to prove himself as any rookie does, he has to earn the respect of his teammates because of what they went through with Justin Fields.

A trade of Justin Fields will shift the atmosphere of the Chicago Bears' locker room.

The fact that most of the Bears who started the beginning of this rebuild and retool are coming out on the other side of it when things are looking up and Fields will not be part of that is a harsh possibility that players and coaches both will not soon forget. So, if the Bears select Caleb Williams, regardless of how he plays on the field, he will have to show the same hard work and leadership that Fields did. While that may seem obvious, it will be one of the biggest storylines going into next year and could determine the success that he finds in Chicago.

Fans had been split all offseason on whether to move on from Fields, but with the combine here and most of the rumors being that the Bears are leaning towards Williams, the reality of the situation is setting in. Yet, while Fields might not have found the exact success he would have liked, his work and leadership never wavered, and his teammates never lost respect for him. So, Williams will not only have the pressure of being the future star of the Bears, but he will also have the job of replicating that kind of work and leadership to earn the trust and respect of his teammates and coaches who have vocally spoken to wanting Fields to stay.

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