This spring, the Chicago Bears have the option of trading quarterback Justin Fields and using the No. 1 overall pick to draft his replacement.
Chicago could also opt to keep Fields and continue to build around him, but moving on with a new QB is the route they seem most likely to take.
According to Bleacher Report NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Atlanta Falcons continue to be mentioned as a possible fit for Fields in a trade.
“Well, not to double down on Atlanta again, but there is absolutely a building buzz among the NFL that the Falcons would be in play for Justin Fields,” Schultz said on The Zach Gelb Show.
“When I think about Atlanta with Justin Fields, there’s something about a backfield shared with him and Bijan Robinson that really gets me fired up…You could really see how that could materialize and be something super special.”
Schultz is not alone in linking Fields to Atlanta. The Falcons are now the betting favorites to land the 2021 first-round pick.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have also been mentioned heavily in conjunction with Fields. This week, Sports Illustrated‘s Albert Breer reported that several teams had already reached out to the Bears to express interest in the young signal caller.
“Such is the case with the Bears and Justin Fields—with the team having gotten a little insight into what his trade value may be,” Breer wrote. “Chicago staffers got inquiries from other teams on Fields in Mobile. And while the Bears haven’t shopped Fields, those conversations did allow the team to start to gauge the 2021 first-rounder’s worth out there on the market.”
Any team that trades for Fields would have to decide whether or not to pick up his fifth-year option in May, which would cost almost $22 million.