NFL Exec Says Bears 'Failed' Justin Fields; Trade Market Isn't Strong amid Rumors

The Chicago Bears remain under the NFL spotlight this offseason with the No. 1 pick in the draft and a potential decision to trade quarterback Justin Fields, but they reportedly haven't received the types of offers they are looking for when it comes to the incumbent signal-caller.

While ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported the Las Vegas Raiders, Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings were interested, Adam Jahns and Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic cited multiple sources Monday who said "the trade market for Fields wasn't as strong as you'd think or as the Bears had hoped" during the NFL Scouting Combine.

There was also plenty of discussion about Fields at the combine with one league executive saying "Chicago failed" him.

High expectations surrounded the Ohio State product when the Bears selected him with a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft, but he didn't exactly come into an ideal situation. The franchise fired head coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace after his first year, and his second year was largely defined by new general manager Ryan Poles tearing down the roster to rebuild.

The offensive line was a significant concern during Fields' first two seasons, and there was a glaring lack of game-changing weapons in the offense.

He surely built some bad habits when he had to run from pressure so much, although he still accounted for 1,143 yards on the ground in his second season.

To the Bears' credit, things took a turn in 2023. They added wide receiver DJ Moore and drafted offensive tackle Darnell Wright. Tight end Cole Kmet also showed notable improvement, as did offensive lineman Teven Jenkins as a potential building block.

The situation was finally better around Fields, and Chicago ended up going 5-3 in its final eight games.

Under normal circumstances, it would surely look to continue building on that momentum with the hope the quarterback was settling in with surrounding talent finally in place.

However, it has the No. 1 overall pick thanks to last year's trade with the Carolina Panthers that also brought Moore to the Windy City. That means the front office can restart the quarterback contract clock before having to make a decision on Fields' fifth-year option in 2025 by selecting USC's Caleb Williams.

Choosing Williams would presumably also mean the Bears move on from Fields and get something back in return, but the slowly developing market has not led to such a move at this point.