NFL rumors: Justin Fields trade return, Cowboys in on rival trade target, Russell Wilson/Broncos split timeline

NFL rumors: What a potential Justin Fields trade offer could look like

So the Chicago Bears are going to have to trade Justin Fields this offseason, right? Well, that all really depends on how they view many of the top quarterbacks coming out in the 2024 NFL Draft. If they were smart, they would trade Fields and then draft Caleb Williams out of USC, as you don't want potentially the next Patrick Mahomes playing for somebody else, especially if you passed over him.

In order to get Williams to Chicago and it be a smooth transition of quarterback power, Fields has to be traded. Oh, he will have many suitors because he is an excellent player. However, his perceived market value is not as high as you would think it is. He is entering his fourth NFL season out of Ohio State. So while I thought a first-round pick may suffice in trading for him, Chicago will command less.

Jeff Howe of The Athletic reports that the consensus opinion is that the Bears will get a second- or third-round pick (subscription required) for Fields, with Howe noting there was "some variation" in the executives he polled. For instance, he suggests one executive said he might be worth the "equivalent" of a second-rounder in a mix of a third- and fifth-round pick.

Given how desperate some teams are for a quarterback, a second or even a third-round pick feels like chump change. If it takes merely a third and fifth-round pick to sweeten the deal, just do it because you cannot put a price on having a franchise quarterback. This makes Fields' trade market slightly more robust, but Chicago may not be able to get the compensation it was looking for either.

It would be absolutely shocking at this point if Fields is the starting quarterback for the Bears in 2024.