Justin Fields gives major props to Ryan Poles that will benefit Bears in long run
Kenny Pickett's exit from the Pittsburgh Steelers was exceedingly acrimonious. By contrast, Justin Fields' departure from the Chicago Bears has been positively warm.
Neither Pickett nor Fields were particularly happy about losing their starting jobs and being set aside by the team that drafted them. Still, Pickett's comments about the Steelers since moving to the Eagles have been mostly negative. Fields, meanwhile, actually thanked Bears GM Ryan Poles for sending him to Pittsburgh.
"Shoutout to Poles," Fields told reporters on Tuesday, via Brooke Pryor of ESPN. "We communicated to him through my agent, and I told him where I wanted to be and this was a place I wanted to be, so he honored that and I appreciate him for that and glad he was able to put me in a spot where I wanted to be at."
Ryan Poles said he wanted to "do right" by Justin Fields.
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) May 21, 2024
Fields, today: "Shoutout to Poles, we communicated to him through my agent, and I told him where I wanted to be and this was a place I wanted to be, so he honored that and I appreciate him for that and glad he was able…
From the Steelers' perspective, what Fields said is doubly positive. First and foremost, he wanted Pittsburgh. Second, he's got a good enough head on his shoulders to recognize and appreciate the gesture instead of holding bitterness over the fact that he needed to be traded in the first place.
Poles didn't sway from his commitment to do right by Fields. The move benefited the quarterback, but it could also give the GM a significant boost.
Ryan Poles built credibility by taking good care of Justin Fields
As voices on NFL Twitter pointed out, Poles' actions are a massive green flag for players already in Chicago and those who may look to join down the line. His credibility in and outside the building is only helped by this one.
Sports can be a cold-hearted business.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) May 21, 2024
But Ryan Poles did right by Justin Fields, just as he promised Fields he would.
You can bet that remaining Bears players took note of this. That helps build trust and a culture within an organization. https://t.co/d8Xs8lUuRR
This might not seem like much, but players will respect you and your organization if you're a straight shooter. Ryan Poles is. https://t.co/tmXTa0GSjx
— Harrison Graham (@HGrahamNFL) May 21, 2024
When the Bears traded Fields to the Steelers for a conditional sixth-round pick (it will become a fourth if he plays more than half Pittsburgh's snaps), the price tag didn't seem to fit. Chicago had been reportedly seeking a significantly better return than that.
Now it makes more sense. Poles might have squeezed a more valuable pick out of some other team but he wanted to send Fields somewhere he actually wanted to go.
What's more valuable, a slightly better draft pick or being able to build the kind of trust that could impact every deal Poles does going forward? We know what his answer would be.
feed