NFL Rumors: Justin Fields trade on hold for shocking Bears reason

For the second year in a row, the Chicago Bears hold the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft. It would seem obvious they're going to use that pick on a quarterback and trade Justin Fields while they can.

But maybe the Bears aren't interested in doing the obvious.

On Monday, with the NFL free agency frenzy in full swing and quarterback openings around the league being filled, Ian Rapoport reported that the Bears haven't held serious trade talks involving Fields.

"The Chicago Bears seem to be open to trading Fields. They have really not yet engaged, really not yet started that process. [They] want to make sure that Caleb Williams is their guy at No. 1," Rapoport said.

Bears not shopping Justin Fields is either incompetence or negotiating tactic

The Bears are certainly right to do their due diligence on Williams, even if his status as the presumptive No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft is deserving. His visit to Chicago after USC's Pro Day will be even more important than usual because it'll be the first time the team gets to conduct a physical and check off any medical concerns. They can't truly go all in on him without it.

Still, the idea they haven't actively engaged with teams on Justin Fields feels absurd. If that's truly the case, then general manager Ryan Poles is sleeping on the job. Why let teams like the Falcons and Raiders address their quarterback situation in free agency without at least seeing what you could get?

Or, more likely, they're using Rapoport as a mouthpiece to deflect from the spinning of the NFL rumor mill, which has been adamant that the market for the former first-rounder isn't particularly robust.

Benjamin Albright tweeted Monday that Fields could wind up being traded as a backup in 2024 with the "incredibly thin" market limiting options for the Bears.

That alone should be all the sign the Bears need to use the No. 1 pick on a quarterback. If it isn't Caleb Williams, then Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels. There were and are a lot of quarterback-needy teams in the league and none of them have been willing to go out of their way to get Fields. That means something.

But if the Bears want to maximize their return on Fields, they need teams around the league to believe that there's actually competition to bring in the quarterback. And they can't sell that if they've spent the last few weeks fishing for takers with no bites.