Justin Fields could very well find himself traded from the Chicago Bears after just one season. A recent report suggests that a new head coach and general manager tandem in Chicago could opt to move off the 2021 first-round pick.
While this might seem to be a bit insane on the surface, there’s certainly some tea leaves pointing in this direction. Chicago’s interest in former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores adds another layer to that. Flores wanted his former Fins team to trade for Deshaun Watson.
Meanwhile, former Houston Texans general manager Rick Smith is also being linked to the Bears. His last draft as a member of the Texans included Smith taking Watson in the first round.
With all of that as a backdrop, we figured it made sense to look at some Justin Fields trade scenarios should Chicago pull the trigger.
Related: Chicago Bears head coach options to replace Matt Nagy
Washington Football Team adds Justin Fields
- Washington Football Team gets: Justin Fields
- Chicago Bears get: 2022 second-round pick, 2023 third-round pick, Taylor Heinicke
Washington will more than likely be in the market for an upgrade at quarterback this off-season. The team signed veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick ahead of the 2021 season. Unfortunately, he played just one game before suffering a season-ending injury.
If Ron Rivera’s squad is going to end up being players in the NFC East, it needs to find more consistent play under center. Adding Fields to the mix would be a risk given his performance as a rookie, but he’s much more talented than any quarterback currently on Washington’s roster.
- Taylor Heinicke stats: 65% completion, 3,419 yards, 20 touchdowns, 15 interceptions, 95.9 rating
As you can see, Heinicke played pretty well for Washington last season. He could potentially come in and vie to be a stopgap option for Chicago. Adding a second and third-round pick could also give an unnamed new Bears general manager the assets to pull off a blockbuster trade for a quarterback.
Related: Ranking NFL head coach openings
Las Vegas Raiders swap Derek Carr for Fields
- Las Vegas Raiders get: Justin Fields, future conditional third-round pick
- Chicago Bears get: Derek Carr
At this point, we have absolutely no idea what the Raiders are going to do. They fired general manager Mike Mayock after a surprise playoff appearance. Interim head coach Rich Bisaccia is also on shaky ground. All of this could impact Carr’s future in Sin City.
That’s magnified by the fact that Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh is being bandied about as a candidate to become the Raiders’ next head coach. The link? Harbaugh saw Fields first-hand when the latter starred for the Ohio State Buckeyes from 2019-20.
As for the Bears, they get a dramatic upgrade under center. Carr isn’t elite by any stretch of the imagination. However, he’s a three-time Pro Bowler who is averaging 3,960 yards with 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions through his first eight NFL seasons.
Related: Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback options
Justin Fields heads to the Pittsburgh Steelers
- Pittsburgh Steelers get: Justin Fields
- Chicago Bears get: Chase Claypool, 2023 third-round pick
Now that the Ben Roethlisberger era is completely over, the Steelers must find a quarterback of the future. It’s something soon-to-be-retired general manager Kevin Colbert struggled with throughout the years. No, Mason Rudolph is not the answer in the Steel City.
In lieu of spending a first-round pick on a quarterback in what is a weak draft class at that position, Pittsburgh offers up stud young receiver Chase Claypool as the centerpiece here. In doing so, it gets that potential franchise quarterback to replace Big Ben.
As for the Bears, the idea here would be to pull off a separate trade for a quarterback. Perhaps, the team could add Jimmy Garoppolo on the cheap depending on his situation with the San Francisco 49ers.
Related: Deshaun Watson trade scenarios
Justin Fields blockbuster trade to the Houston Texans
- Houston Texans get: Justin Fields, 2023 first-round pick, 2024 first-round pick, 2022 second-round pick, Roquan Smith
- Chicago Bears: Deshaun Watson
It could all be leading to this. As noted above, the individuals Chicago is showing interest in for its head coach and general manager openings could be pointing to the team’s brass wanting to add Watson to the mix.
It would not come cheap. Houston will want multiple first-round picks and/or Pro Bowl caliber players for the stud quarterback. Of course, it’s all dependent on how his off-field situation plays out with north of 20 women accusing the Pro Bowler of sexual misconduct
- Deshaun Watson stats: 68% completion, 14,539 passing yards, 121 touchdowns, 36 interceptions, 104.5 rating
As you can see, Watson would represent a dramatic upgrade for the Bears. In fact, he’d likely be their best quarterback since Jim Harbaugh himself.
From Houston’s perspective, it brings in another young quarterback to compete with Davis Mills for the starting job. It also adds a Pro Bowl linebacker and multiple first-round picks to the mix. It almost makes too much sense.