When people are listing out the teams that may trade for Justin Fields this offseason, it is often the same names over and over. We consistently hear about all of the quarterback-needy teams, but then there is always a surprise team that gets involved late. What is that team the Miami Dolphins? Could they trade the Chicago Bears for Justin Fields?
Could the Miami Dolphins trade the Chicago Bears for Justin Fields?
The first thought is no, they have Tua Tagovailoa. Tagovailoa is coming off of a great year, but so many fans and media wonder how much he does and how much he just gets away with having Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and Mike McDaniel. The loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs has to show the team that Tagovailoa may have issues getting over the hump.
Tagovailoa is signed this year on a $23M cap hit for his fifth-year option, but after this year he is a free agent. If the Chicago Bears traded Fields to the Miami Dolphins, they would only take on about $6M. The Dolphins would still be under $30M for their quarterback room, which is not bad compared to teams across the NFL.
What this does is give them security. If Fields beats Tagovailoa in camp or during the season, if Tagovailoa gets hurt, or if Tagovailoa fails in the playoffs and the Dolphins want to let him test free agency, they could have the rights to Fields. They could exercise his fifth-year option and would be starting in 2025 with a chance to win a starting job for the future.
We know that McDaniel has an appreciation for what Fields does, and we know that McDaniel can get creative around a player's skill set. There may not be a play-caller more interested in Fields. With Tagovailoa having an easy out after this year, the odds of them adding Fields for a loo have to get higher this offseason.