Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields is one of the biggest reasons for the team’s second-half turnaround. While the former first-round pick has proven he’s worth potentially building a franchise around, the Bears’ situation means Fields is likely playing elsewhere in 2024.
The smartest thing for Chicago to do next offseason is trade Fields for draft picks and use the first overall selection on either Drake Maye or Caleb Williams. While it would be an unfortunate end to Fields’ career in Chicago, it would also represent the best move for his future as he can blossom with another NFL franchise.
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Let’s examine the top destinations for Justin Fields in 2024.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers have given Kennyy Pickett two seasons to prove himself as a starting-caliber quarterback. In 25 career games, he’s completed fewer than 63 percent of his passes and his touchdown rate (1.8 percent) is one of the lowest in NFL history. Trading up for a top-10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to snag one of the premium quarterback prospects is unlikely, leaving a trade for Fields as the best option.
- Justin Fields stats 2023: 91.8 QB rating, 63.5% completion rate, 7.1 yards per attempt, 13-6 TD-INT, 5.1% TD rate, 458 rushing yards, 5.1 yards per carry
With a vacancy at offensive coordinator, Pittsburgh could specifically find a play-caller whose system meshes with Fields’ skills. The Steelers could unlock George Pickens, using him more as a downfield threat with a quarterback who has the third-best NFL QB rating (133.0) on throws 20-plus yards downfield this season.
Fields would also complement the run game, creating a more dynamic offense with Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris. He offers the ceiling of a top-12 quarterback, something this franchise hasn’t had in years. If the Steelers add Fields in 2024, they can challenge for the AFC North and potentially even make a Super Bowl run.
Atlanta Falcons
While there’s a lot of frustration with the Atlanta Falcons offense this season, inefficient quarterback play is a bigger problem than the head coach. Arthur Smith’s system has plenty of flaws, but Desmond Ridder’s decision-making and inconsistency are the true anchor in Atlanta. While the Falcons have already passed on Fields once, there’s an opportunity for a re-do.
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Entering Week 15, Atlanta had the fourth-highest rushing rate (48.02 percent) in the NFL. Fields is one of the best athletes in football and replacing him with Ridder would immediately provide the Falcons’ offense with a far more effective RPO. Fields has also been effective on play-action, posting a 108.2 QB rating with a 67.8 percent completion rate and averaging 9.2 yards per attempt.
- Justin Fields contract: $6.004 million cap hit in 2024, 2025 fifth-year team option (fully guaranteed)
Schematically, Fields fits nicely into what Smith wants to run and Atlanta’s offensive weapons would immediately help him be successful. If Atlanta acquired Fields, it could immediately separate itself as the best team in the NFC South and might even have one of the best NFL offenses in 2024.
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New England Patriots
If the New England Patriots wind up with a top-two pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, then Justin Fields is obviously not a realistic target. However, he becomes a far more intriguing fit if New England and its new head coach are out of the range to draft Drake Maye or Caleb Williams.
- Justin Fields advanced stats: 75.1 percent On-Target rate, 254 scramble yards, 75.1 PFF grade
The Patriots could use their top pick on wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. providing Fields with a go-to weapon that he could have success with immediately. New England would also have the cap space in 2024 to fill out its offensive line and solidify the receiving corps, building an offense led by Fields, Harrison Jr. and Rhamondre Stevenson.
With all of those pieces in place and the defensive talent already on the roster, New England becomes a Wild Card contender in 2024. If Fields takes that next step in his career and the new Patriots’ front office makes the right moves in free agency and the NFL Draft, then New England can compete for the AFC East by 2025.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are no stranger to rolling the dice on other teams’ quarterbacks. This is also an organization that doesn’t seem inclined to hit the reset button and with the division still wide open, finding the right answer at quarterback could make Tampa Bay champions of the NFC South for several years.
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Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator Dave Canales could have the same impact on Fields that he did with Geno Smith in 2022. The young quarterback would also be walking into a pretty favorable situation, as Tampa Bay is committed to Chris Godwin long-term and it still has approximately $50 million in cap space next offseason.
If Tampa Bay wins the NFC South this season, securing a playoff spot, it could flip that mid-first to Chicago for Fields or package a second- and fourth-round pick to make a deal happen. Fields is already an upgrade over Baker Mayfield and if he takes the next step as a passer, Fields could be the new face of the Buccaneers’ franchise. For a team that isn’t well-positioned to land a quarterback upgrade in the NFL Draft, trading for Fields might be the best option.
