Bears Told Justin Fields There'd Be Trade Rumors: 'He Respects That a Lot'

The Chicago Bears will likely trade the No. 1 pick to a quarterback-needy team ahead of the 2023 NFL draft since they have Justin Fields in place at the position, but blatantly coming out and saying they will not even consider taking a quarterback with the selection would hurt some of their leverage.

General manager Ryan Poles understands that creates something of a balancing act that has required open communication with Fields.

"It's really important," he said, per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. "And we anticipated it, with how everything's going, that would be the case. So I spent a lot of time just communicating with him, letting him know there's going to be noise out there, and if anything changes, we'll keep you in the loop so you're not hearing it from the outside before you're hearing it from me. And I think he respects that a lot. I've been pretty clear that we're excited about where his career's going."

That the front office has included Fields in discussions about what the plan is should answer any lingering questions about whether it sees him as the franchise quarterback.

While Fields still needs to make strides as a passer to reach his full potential, he made a massive leap from his first to second seasons with both his arm and his ability to make plays with his legs. And he did it all while surrounded by a roster that was lacking in talent at a number of key positions, including offensive line and wide receiver.

As for the eventual trade of the No. 1 pick?

"No one's gonna rush me," Poles said, per Peter King of Pro Football Talk. "I know I can get a '24 one and a '25 one. You're telling me for the next two years I'll have two ones? That's either four really good players, or if we're cruising, we can still trade back."

That could be just the move the Bears need to accelerate the rebuilding process and become a contender.