Justin Fields trade grade: Steelers got more for Kenny Pickett than they gave Bears
Insiders from around the NFL insisted on it, even if some Chicago Bears fans didn't quite believe it...There was no real market for Justin Fields.
The actual Justin Fields trade that broke on Saturday essentially confirmed that.
The Bears traded Fields, the former No. 11 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, to the Pittsburgh Steelers for practically nothing.
Justin Fields trade grade: That's all the Bears could get?
Justin Fields
According to Adam Schefter, the trade between the Bears and Steelers involves a sixth round pick in 2025, which can become a fourth round pick based on how much playing time Fields sees in 2024.
Let's put that into perspective, the Steelers just shipped out Kenny Pickett and a fourth-round pick to the Eagles in exchange for a third-rounder in 2024 and two 2025 seventh-round picks.
Pittsburgh legitimately got more for Pickett than they had to spend to get Fields. Yes, the former Bears QB certainly has question marks around him but he clearly has shown a higher ceiling than Pickett.
The context around this trade is important, of course. The Bears were in a terrible negotiating position. Everyone and their mother knew they were going to use the No. 1 overall pick on Caleb Williams (except for a portion of the Bears fanbase firmly in the denial phase of grieving). Teams negotiating for Fields knew they had no intention of keeping Fields as their starting quarterback. They had zero leverage.
Still, the Bears didn't have to accept such a low offer from the Steelers. Pittsburgh had just traded Pickett to the Eagles without that much leverage themselves. They had Russell Wilson in place. Everyone knew Pickett was going to be the backup. And his behind-the-scenes behavior apparently had the Steelers desperate to get rid of him.
Ryan Poles could have simply pointed to the Pickett trade and said, "We want that," to get a better deal.
Sure, the Bears could end up with a future fourth-round pick, but what are the odds of that? The Steelers don't plan to start Fields this year. This is a move for 2025. Is Chicago banking on a Wilson injury to get them that fourth? Apparently.
Steelers trade grade: A
Bears trade grade: D
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