As the Bears move closer to the No. 1 pick in the draft, and with it the opportunity to draft a franchise-changing quarterback, they need to evaluate what they would be able to get for Justin Fields in a trade.
The question of whether they could get a second-round pick for Fields illustrates why they would want to upgrade at that position if they believe prospects Caleb Williams, Drake Maye or someone else has a higher ceiling. The market more likely will be a third-rounder, so anything better than that would be a victory for general manager Ryan Poles.
Here are five logical destinations:
Raiders
This is the best option for Poles: send Fields to a bad AFC team. That minimizes the chances of this move blowing up on him with Fields becoming a star on another team a perennial obstacle to the Bears.
Falcons
This is the best option for Fields: going to his hometown team with an offensive-minded coach in Arthur Smith.
Steelers
Trading Fields to an AFC team mitigates the concern of the Bears having to face him regularly, and it’d be a good, stable landing spot for him.
Buccaneers
The Bucs need a quarterback, but won’t be anywhere near the top of the draft. They also have a lot else in place and want to take advantage while they can.
Patriots
The Patriots are slotted to pick second in the draft and likely will take a quarterback if they’re picking that high. But they reportedly explored moving up to get Fields in the 2021 draft, so if they slip out of the top two or three picks, they’re a candidate.
