NFL Free Agency begins on Monday during the legal tampering period, and the hope for the Chicago Bears is that a Justin Fields trade will completed by then.
Signs continue to point in the direction of the Bears, selecting USC's Caleb Williams as the first overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, and the final confirmation of that plan would be the trading of Fields.
In a perfect world, the Bears would have liked to have a trade completed by now but the market hasn't materialized in the way that the team was expecting.
The latest report from ESPN's Adam Schefter stresses the urgency that the Bears have for completing a trade of Fields.
"The Bears said at the Combine they'd like to get a deal in place by the time the new league year opens, which is one week from today," Schefter said. "The Bears are on the clock.Adam Schefter
I think there are people within the organization that would like to see him stay there too, which is one more wrench to throw in there.
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Now, there is a segment of Bears fans that will read that last line from Schefter and puff out their chests in saying that Fields is going to remain as the starting quarterback of the Bears.
Unfortunately, that is not the case. Until the Bears can complete a trade of Fields, they have to get the messaging out there that the organization is comfortable with the quarterback remaining with the team. The Bears are losing leverage in a Fields' trade with each passing day; the report from Schefter is more likely to be a last-ditch effort from the team to get the best offers for their soon-to-be former starting quarterback.