Trading Fields
This is the most controversial move of the offseason. Poles decided to part ways with quarterback Justin Fields so he could have his quarterback. Many fans lament the fact that Fields never had a true opportunity to shine with the Chicago Bears. In his rookie season, he had a head coach, Matt Nagy, who did not want to play him. Even when he finally started Fields, he did not adjust the offense from being one built for Andy Dalton to fitting into Fields’ skillset.
When Poles took over, he announced that Fields was his guy. He said he wanted to build around the young quarterback. However, what he built around him in 2022 was a bunch of Walmart greeters. While he added Moore the next season, he still did not have the proper players around him.
Now, with the Bears having a much-improved roster, Poles ships Fields out. That left a bad taste in many people’s mouths.
All indications are that Poles will select Caleb Williams with the number one pick in the draft. Because of that, Williams and Fields will always be connected. It is similar to how Mitchell Trubisky will always have the link with Patrick Mahomes. The Bears selected Trubisky over Mahomes and now people will never let the team forget that.
In trading Fields, Poles walked away from his philosophy of building through the draft. He could have had a huge haul for the number one pick. Many quarterback-needy teams would hand over their draft picks to acquire the quarterback they want.
We can take a look at what the Chicago Bears received in exchange for the number one pick in last year’s draft. The Carolina Panthers gave Poles multiple valuable draft picks and included Moore. Those picks ended up being right tackle Darnell Wright, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, and the number one pick in this year’s draft. In addition, they still have Carolina’s 2025 second-round pick.
Now imagine getting a bigger haul this year. The roster would be affected for years with the two huge trades. Instead, Poles puts his job on the line with Williams.
With Fields now with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he likely won’t play much in 2024. The Steelers also acquired Russell Wilson. Wilson will likely be the starter. However, he is there for one year. Fields could recharge for a season and then become the starter. There is even an outside chance that Fields could take the disrespect he got in Chicago and fuel him in Pittsburgh.
If Fields plays well in Pittsburgh and things do not work out for Williams with the Chicago Bears, it will be embarrassing for the Chicago Bears. It will also mean that Poles and Eberflus could be booted the same way Poles and Nagy were,
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