C.J. Stroud Doesn't Want to Be Drafted by Bears amid Justin Fields Trade Rumors

NFL draft prospects usually dream of going No. 1 overall, but quarterback C.J. Stroud wouldn't want to go to the Chicago Bears with Justin Fields already on the roster.

"I mean, nah, I don't want to go there," Stroud told reporters Friday. "That's his team. I can do my thing. I can go build my legacy. He texted me yesterday morning. Me and him are brothers for life."

Stroud backed up Fields at Ohio State in 2020 before starting the past two seasons. He was listed as the top quarterback in the 2023 class by Bleacher Report's Scouting Department and No. 6 overall in the post-Senior Bowl rankings.

The two-time Heisman Trophy finalist totaled 85 passing touchdowns and just 12 interceptions across his two years under center for the Buckeyes.

There are no shortage of quarterback-needy teams in the top 10 who would love to draft Stroud as their next franchise player, including the Houston Texans (No. 2), Indianapolis Colts (No. 4) and Las Vegas Raiders (No. 7).

The Bears still control the draft with the No. 1 overall pick.

Though they seemingly already found their quarterback in Fields, Chicago is keeping its options open heading into the offseason. General manager Ryan Poles said the "plan right now" is to keep Fields, but the team could be "blown away" with a trade offer.

Dealing the inconsistent Fields and starting over with Stroud could be an option for the Bears, which are looking to turn things around after their 3-14 season.

Stroud would still prefer to get drafted by another team and let Fields keep his current role. The prospect praised his former teammate after an up-and-down 2022 season:

"I was proud of him. There's so many times when you get knocked down, but I feel like a true man's character is when you get knocked down, you get up. And he's got up every time, and he's stepped up to the plate, and he hasn't blamed anybody; he hasn't pointed no fingers; and he hasn't done anything. As a human, that just shows you what type of man he is and what type of family he comes from."

Stroud will now look to find his own success at the NFL level.