The NFL’s quarterback carousel continues to turn, with the Chicago Bears trading Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers this week for a conditional sixth-round pick.
The return was far less than many expected the Bears to get for Fields, as available landing locations for his services dried up rapidly, removing much of Chicago’s power in a prospective trade.
According to Albert Breer of NBC Sports, the Bears can benefit from this transaction because the pick will become a fourth-rounder if Fields plays more than 50% of Pittsburgh’s offensive snaps in 2024.
Simply said, if Fields starts for the Steelers for any reason, this choice jumps up to fourth.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72955763/1822879864.0.jpg)
It was declared shortly after the Fields deal that he would not compete for the starting job, therefore his only way to meet this requirement is if Russell Wilson is hurt or benched.
It’s in play because Wilson was benched near the end of last season.
It’s unfortunate that Fields has been forced to take a demotion, but it could benefit him in the long run because he now has the opportunity to study behind a quarterback with a very comparable skill set to his own.
The route is now clear for Chicago to begin the Caleb Williams era, and Fields will seek to follow in the footsteps of recent high draft picks like Baker Mayfield and Ryan Tannehill, who were benched but went on to become stars elsewhere.
