4 most valuable Steelers trade assets they can use to acquire Justin Fields
For fans of the Chicago Bears, this is going to be one wild offseason. Their team again holds the rights to the first-overall selection in the NFL Draft, and whereas last year general manager Ryan Poles dealt the pick to the Carolina Panthers for DJ Moore and a bundle of additional draft choices (one of which went on to become this year's first overall pick after the Panthers finished with the NFL's worst record), opinions vary greatly on what Poles will do this time around.
Poles passed on making a change at quarterback last year, leaving Bryce Young and CJ Stroud to be drafted with the top two picks by the Panthers and Texans, respectively. Justin Fields did make strides in his third year as the Bears starter, but did he do enough to convince the team to once again trade out of the top slot?
That decision will be even more difficult this year, as USC quarterback Caleb Williams, long-presumed to be the top passer in this class, is available to be drafted at No. 1. For Poles to pass on Williams, even knowing there are likely teams that would trade the world for that pick, he'd have to feel extremely confident that Fields can still unlock more of his potential to become someone capable of leading the Bears to a championship.
If the Bears do choose to move on from Fields, there are several teams that would be interested, with the Falcons, Broncos, and Steelers thought to be three of the teams most motivated to make a move.
Today we'll focus on the Steelers, who fired offensive coordinator Matt Canada this past November, then brought in former Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith over two weeks ago in the hopes of improving an offense that has seemingly been stuck in the Allegheny River mud for years.
The Steelers have ranked in the bottom ten of the league in yards per game every year since 2019, and with Mike Tomlin feeling the heat from a fanbase that hasn't seen a playoff win since 2017, it's possible that he's ready to make a big shake-up at the game's most important position.
Kenny Pickett is the incumbent starter in Pittsburgh, but the former Pitt Panther hasn't exactly lit the world on fire, throwing just 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in his first two years in the league. Former Bear Mitch Trubisky was recently let go, and longtime backup Mason Rudolph is reportedly looking for a fresh start somewhere else.
Tomlin has said that Pickett will have competition next year, though whether that means the Steelers will bring in just a capable backup, a mid-round rookie, or an established veteran such as Russell Wilson or Ryan Tannehill remains to be seen.
Tomlin is said to be a "big fan of Justin Fields," perhaps owing to an impressive performance Fields put on in his one game at Pittsburgh, a 29-27 Steelers win in which Fields threw for nearly 300 yards and led the Bears back from 14 points down, only for the Steelers to win it with a field goal in the waning moments.
This is the time of year when the NFL rumor mill starts chugging to life, but sometimes where there's smoke, there's fire. Let's look at what the Steelers might be able to offer in a possible trade package for the dynamic Bears quarterback.
4) Running back Najee Harris would be an excellent fit in new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron's system
The Bears made the popular move of firing offensive coordinator Luke Getsy once the regular season concluded, then went out and hired Shane Waldron of the Seahawks to replace him. Waldron walks into a solid running back situation, with Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson under contract and D'Onta Foreman a possibility to be brought back. If the Bears want to go in a new direction, though, Najee Harris could be a good fit.
Harris has a similar power running style to Kenneth Walker III, Waldron's lead back in Seattle. Harris started slow but came on strong in the second half of last year, finishing the season with back-to-back 100-yard rushing performances against Waldron's Seahawks and the team with the best defense in the league, the Baltimore Ravens.
Despite his second half surge, Harris could be on the outs in Pittsburgh thanks to the play of the smaller and quicker Jaylen Warren. Alternatively, Arthur Smith could find a use for both of them, just as he did with Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier in Atlanta.
Herbert has struggled with injuries during his career in Chicago, but Harris has been extremely durable, playing in all 51 of Pittsburgh's games in his three years in the league. Like Fields, the former first-round pick is under contract for one more year, but he does have an option year in 2025.
Harris wouldn't be enough to get Fields on his own, but if the Steelers are looking to move on from him, they can attach a second- or third-round pick and that could be enough to get the Bears to bite.