The Chicago Bears went to the NFL Combine hoping to gather the final pieces of evidence needed before making a decision at quarterback, facing a choice between building around the No. 1 overall pick or quarterback Justin Fields. After leaving Indianapolis, it appears a decision is much closer.
Speaking to reporters shortly after arriving at the NFL Combine, Bears’ general manager Ryan Poles kept his cards close to the vest. He admitted the club fielded trade inquiries on both Fields and the first overall pick, but a decision hadn’t been made on which option the team would pursue.
However, Chicago’s executive did make one thing clear before meeting with the top quarterback prospects. If the Bears were going to build around a new signal-caller, he wanted to do right by Fields and move him in a reasonable timeframe so he wouldn’t be left with prolonged uncertainty.
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“I will say this: If we go down that road, I wanna do right by Justin as well. No one wants to live in gray. I know that’s uncomfortable. I wouldn’t wanna be in that situation either. So we’ll gather the information. We’ll move as quickly as possible. We’re not gonna be in a rush.”
Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles on QB Justin Fields
According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, the Bears have been “aggressive” in getting answers on USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams. The process not only included meeting with him at the NFL Combine, but asking his former teammates at both USC and Oklahoma about him during interviews.
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In its in-person interview with Williams, Chicago found him to have “an easy confidence” that reflected a player who was both ready to be a franchise player and is unconcerned with the team’s past quarterback issues. He checked the box, allowing the team to move an originally scheduled top 30 visit this week until after USC’s Pro Day.
Breer also noted a potential openness from Poles to let the trade market for Fields play out longer. the Bears’ general manager may now be open to allowing the top of the quarterback market to play out. This would mean holding off a little longer on a trade until there’s clarity with Kirk Cousins and Baker Mayfield.
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Over the weekend, it was reported that the Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers and Las Vegas Raiders were teams to watch for Fields. However, the Falcons are believed to be prioritizing Cousins in NFL free agency.
For now, there appears to be a slightly higher chance that Fields isn’t traded within the next few days as Chicago leaves itself open to gaining more leverage if Cousins comes off the board early. However, the expectation remains that the Bears will use the first overall pick on Williams.
