Justin Fields almost became Lamar Jackson's backup this offseason

With the Chicago Bears slated to have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and Caleb Williams, one of the best draft prospects in recent memory, being available, the chances of Justin Fields earning another season as the starting quarterback of the Bears were slim to none.

With that in mind, rather than keeping him pinned to the bench, the Bears did right by the player by trading him this offseason while also ensuring that they get some sort of compensation in exchange for the former first-round pick.

The Pittsburgh Steelers were the team that ended up trading for him, but they were far from the only interested suitor. In fact, Fields revealed several interested suitors, including the Baltimore Ravens, on Cam Heyward's podcast.

Steelers were far from the only team interested in trading for Justin Fields

“I’m not sure of all the teams, but there were a lot of teams that already had solidified quarterbacks and I didn’t want to do that. Chargers were one, Ravens were another,” Fields said. “Raiders, they talked a little bit. I don’t know too much. Who else was in there I don’t know, but a lot of teams had solidified quarterbacks who just got new contracts so I didn’t want to be there.”

Three of the teams Fields mentioned were interested in trading for him were the Ravens, Los Angeles Chargers, and Las Vegas Raiders. The Ravens, as we all know, have two-time MVP Lamar Jackson under center. The Chargers have Justin Herbert, one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, locked in as well. Fields was going to join organizations that have some recent success, but would only see the field in blowouts, games that don't matter, or in the event of an injury. Being behind an established starter was the scenario that he did not want.

With that in mind, Fields has to be thrilled that he was traded to the Steelers. Sure, he might've learned a lot behind guys like Jackson or Herbert, but he'd rarely, if ever, get to play. In Pittsburgh he'd have more of a shot.

He lost out in the quarterback competition to Russell Wilson, but thanks to Wilson's injury, he was plugged in as the team's Week 1 quarterback. All Fields has done since is not only go 3-0, but complete 73.3 percent of his passes with only one interception through the first three weeks of the year. He has played the best football of his young career thus far.

He's getting a chance to play, which is something he wouldn't have been able to do had he been traded to Baltimore, and is making the most out of his opportunity. No, he hasn't been asked to do too much, but he's done enough with help from arguably the best defense in the sport to go 3-0.

With how well things are going, there's a chance that Fields will not only start when Wilson is healthy, but have a chance at being Pittsburgh's long-term quarterback. Had he been dealt to Baltimore or Los Angeles, that would not have happened.