Justin Fields as Bears QB in 2023 Is 'The Plan Right Now' amid Trade Rumors, GM Says

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles reaffirmed the franchise's current commitment to Justin Fields as the starting quarterback ahead of the 2023 NFL draft, though he didn't shut the door on a change.

"That's the plan right now," he told reporters Tuesday. "We're going to do our homework on this class."

The Washington Post's Jason La Canfora reported on Feb. 15 that "more than one NFL general manager came away from the Senior Bowl fairly convinced that Justin Fields will be dealt" this offseason.

However, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Sunday on SportsCenter he got the impression from teams around the league the Bears will keep Fields.

Chicago has the No. 1 pick in the draft. Maybe Poles and the front office fall in love with Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Will Levis or Anthony Richardson and genuinely believe one of the four is an upgrade over Fields.

But this isn't like when the Arizona Cardinals used a first-round pick on Josh Rosen in 2018 and turned around and took Kyler Murray first overall in 2019.

Fields made tangible progress in his second season, throwing for 2,242 yards and 17 touchdowns and running for 1,143 yards and eight scores. The Bears might have won just three games with him at quarterback, but that was an indictment on their entire roster rather than a reflection of who was running the offense.

When it comes to the draft, Poles has a vested interest in maintaining as much intrigue as possible.

The Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Las Vegas Raiders, Carolina Panthers and perhaps even the Atlanta Falcons could target a quarterback in the top 10. To that end, any of the five might want to move up to the No. 1 pick in order to get the QB it covets. The desperation level only increases if the Bears can successfully convince other teams they might just select a quarterback themselves.

Trading Fields would probably bring back a nice haul for Chicago—certainly more than it would've last offseason—but it's difficult to see how that is a more sensible path than simply maintaining the status quo.