Justin Fields Rumors: Bears QB Isn't Seen as More of a Sure Thing Than Darnold, Lock

The Chicago Bears aren't getting an encouraging response as they explore the trade market for quarterback Justin Fields, according to ESPN's Dan Graziano.

"Right now, the message the Bears are getting back from teams is that they don't consider Fields more of a sure thing than other potential one-year options such as Sam Darnold or Drew Lock, who wouldn't come with the fifth-year option decision that Fields' eventual team will have to make by early May," Graziano reported Sunday.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN added the Bears "aren't panicked despite no deal reached for a Fields trade."

The comparisons to Lock and Darnold feel unnecessarily harsh when considering Fields has outperformed both to this point in his career.

Lock led the NFL in interceptions in the only season in which he started a majority of his games so far. Darnold, meanwhile, has a lower passer rating (78.3) than Fields (82.3) in addition to a lower completion percentage despite being more of a traditional dropback passer.

But the ESPN report alluded to how there are additional factors behind evaluating a trade for Fields versus signing Lock or Darnold.

The 2021 first-round pick has a sizable $25.7 million option in 2025 before hitting free agency the following year. The Bears or another team will soon have to pay him like a franchise quarterback before fully knowing whether he's an actual franchise QB.

With Lock or Darnold, you could sign them to a short-term deal and reassess things in another year. Either is also already comfortable occupying a backup role, something that is less assured with Fields.

Still, Graziano and Fowler's report comes off as a bit of posturing by teams that might be interested in the mobile signal-caller. There are a few situations in which he'd be an immediate upgrade under center, one worth the gamble despite his potential pay raise in 2025.

This is just giving the Bears more incentive to wait on a trade since it looks as though Fields' trade value can't go much lower than it already is. The situation could evolve a lot once the biggest free agents sign and the 2024 NFL draft passes.