With the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine entering the weekend, the takeaway from the week seems to be that the Chicago Bears are moving in a direction that will see the team trade incumbent starting quarterback Justin Fields and select Caleb Williams with the first overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The question remains what type of trade package will be the Bears receive for Fields.
Entering the off-season, the belief was that the Bears could potentially land a 2024 first-round pick for Fields, but his market also has yet to be defined. The Atlanta Falcons have reportedly checked in on Fields, but interest from other teams, such as the Pittsburgh Steelers and Las Vegas Raiders, may be minimal.
Jeff Howe of The Athletic (Subscription Required) polled executives at the Scouting Combine, and there was a general understanding that the Bears would likely land a second or third-round pick in this year's draft. Still, there were mixed results regarding what else would be in a potential offer.
There may not be a great trade offer that exists for Chicago Bears starting quarterback Justin Fields.
It shouldn't be surprising that opinions on Fields across the NFL are mixed. After all, there has been a raging debate in Chicago since the start of the season in September. Given the fact that most of the teams in need of a quarterback this off-season--Washington Commanders, New England Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders, and New York Giants--are in a position where they could land one of the quarterbacks at the top of the class, there likely is a preference to move forward with a rookie quarterback while resetting the contract clock as opposed to trading for Fields and having to make an immediate decision on his fifth-year option.
With Ryan Poles preferring to have a solution at the quarterback sooner instead of later, a Fields' trade does likely take place two weeks before the start of the new league year. Still, it's also likely that the Bears may need to settle for an offer instead of letting the fourth-year quarterback's trade value sink after the draft.