At the NFL Scouting Combine, Bears general manager Ryan Poles told reporters that he wanted to “do right by” Justin Fields in case the team opted to trade him for a new quarterback.
This meant one of two things. First, it meant relocating Fields as soon as possible, preferably before the start of NFL free agency on March 13. Second, it meant allowing Fields the opportunity to choose his next position, which would be most helpful to his development.
Poles, in essence, met both of those criteria. He traded Fields three days after the start of free agency, on March 16. And he traded Fields to the Steelers, one of his four favored destinations, for a compromised return.
“The Steelers were one of four teams on Fields’ radar prior to the start of free agency, along with the Vikings, Raiders and Falcons, a source familiar with Fields’ thinking said,” Brooke Pryor, an analyst for ESPN, wrote on Friday.
According to the article, Fields “thought highly of Tomlin,” who has never had a season below.500 with the Steelers in his 17 years as head coach. He will serve as Russell Wilson’s understudy while also having the opportunity to learn and improve.
The Vikings lost Kirk Cousins to free agency, leaving a vacant starting quarterback job this offseason. It makes logical that he wasn’t traded there because the Bears would then have to play Fields again.
Luke Getsy, Fields’ previous offensive coordinator, currently serves as the Raiders’ offensive coordinator.
They’re still looking for a new quarterback, despite signing Gardner Minshew this offseason. Some speculated that Getsy’s presence would eliminate the Raiders from the list because the two failed to perform well together previous season.
Fields, who is from Georgia, was most closely associated with the Falcons this summer. League sources informed NBC Sports. According to Chicago’s Josh Schrock, the Falcons spoke with the Bears about Fields during the NFL Combine. In the end, they were able to persuade Cousins to move from Minnesota to Atlanta.