Rating Possible Justin Fields Landing Spots
Another potential trade partner for Justin Fields vanished, leaving very little else.
The Colts agreed to terms with NFL comeback player of the year Joe Flacco, who got off the couch and led the Browns into the playoffs last season.
The Colts had already lost quarterback Gardner Minshew in free agency to the Raiders, and needed someone to back up Anthony Richardson.
Fields remains on the Bears roster as free agent signings have become official.
There are few teams left seeking a starter who are unable to draft one. And there are still veterans out in the marketplace like Jimmy Garoppolo and Ryan Tannehill.
Nevertheless, there are plenty of places for Fields to land and be an upgrade as a backup, a challenger for starter or even a better actual option as starter than the one in place.
The Bears' return on the trade would be the issue. It's not going to be good any way you slice it.
Here are the best potential landing spots for Fields ranked by needs of teams, not necessarily where the Bears are likely to trade him.
As you'll see from the list, there are three places where the Bears would have a very difficult time sending him but there is a need for a good alternative to the starter at all three places.
Those would be the other teams in the NFC North.
18. Indianapolis Colts
They just filled up their backup spot with Joe Flacco. He's almost 40, though. And Anthony Richardson is coming off an AC joint tear.
17. Tennessee Titans
They just signed Mason Rudolph to back up Will Levis. So no vacancies.
16. N.Y. Giants
They've got Tommy DeVito as backup, starter Daniel Jones and the capability to draft a starter if they want with the sixth overall pick.
15. N.Y. Jets
This could have been a good spot for Fields with Aaron Rodgers in his 40s but they brought in Tyrod Taylor. Fields is a far better option at backup than Taylor if the Jets got real about it.
14. Kansas City Chiefs
The world champions have been very fortunate so far with Patrick Mahomes' health. He has missed only four games since becoming starter in 2018. Backup Blaine Gabbert has one of the worst win percentages in league history for starting quarterbacks and only a 71.7 career passer rating for 12 seasons. Fields would be a fine upgrade, although he'd wind up sitting a long time. Matt Nagy would welcome him.
13. L.A. Chargers
Easton Stick was the Chargers backup when Justin Herbert went out last year and did a relatively respectable job at 63.8% completions with an 85.6 passer rating. It would seem unlikely he'd be able to keep the backup spot over Fields, but Jim Harbaugh is coach now and Stick might not even be in their future plans. They might be more likely to draft someone. Would they draft Harbaugh's former QB, J.J. McCarthy, and let him challenge Herbert. We don't even know if Harbaugh likes Herbert's skills. Either way, Fields is an unlikely fit here.
12. Miami Dolphins
Unless Skylar Thompson and Mike White float your boat, Fields easily would be a suitable backup to Tua Tagovailoa. With Tagovailoa's record for getting knocked around and out of games, Fields would be valued addition for coach Mike McDaniel.
11. Detroit Lions
Hendon Hooker is the Lions backup quarterback now after Teddy Bridgewater retired to coach high school football. Hooker didn't play a down last year in his first NFL season.
10. Baltimore Ravens
Backup Tyler Huntley is a free agent and their other backup is inexperienced Malik Cunningham. The Ravens definitely could use Fields as a backup, considering how Lamar Jackson puts his body at risk so often by running, just like Fields. This might even be Fields' fastest track to the field considering the dangerous game Jackson plays.
9. Philadelphia Eagles
Tanner McKee is now the backup for Jalen Hurts after Marcus Mariota's departure for Washington, his fourth team in four years. McKee has never played. The big (6-6, 237) Stanford product was a sixth-round pick. Howie Roseman might see the benefits of having two quarterbacks with similar playing styles.
8. L.A. Rams
Carson Wentz was in L.A. on a one-year deal so the Rams need a backup. Would Fields be a fit behind Matthew Stafford? Would he be a suitable Sean McVay QB? These ae big questions that would need answering. Considering Stafford is 36, this might be one of Fields' best shot at becoming a starter.
7. San Francisco 49ers
Brock Purdy is a seventh-round draft pick who overachieves and was backed up by Sam Darnold last year. Darnold is gone now. The 49ers could definitely use Fields, and would probably turn him into a perfect fit for their style of offense. Fields already had exposure to the offense because Luke Getsy's attack came from Matt LaFleur, who got it from the Shanahan family and Sean McVay. The backup for the Niners is Brandon Allen, the former Broncos and Bengals backup who has thrown 33 passes in a career that started in 2019.
6. Green Bay Packers
Sean Clifford is their answer if Jordan Love suffers an injury. Clifford is 25 years old, has thrown one NFL pass and played in two games. Clifford was drafted in the fifth round last year out of Penn State. Fields would be a welcome backup in Green Bay and his fans in Chicago would hate Ryan Poles for sending him there. Of course, he wouldn't do it.
5. Las Vegas Raiders
They're going with Gardner Minshew as starter and Aidan O'Connell as backup, and you'd logically think Fields would be a better choice based on his mobility and arm than either one. Still, the Getsy factor probably makes this a less likely landing spot for Fields. The Raiders are a team capable of getting into position to draft a quarterback, as well.
4. Arizona Cardinals
Clayton Tune, a fifth-rounder from Houston, is the backup behind Kyler Murray. Tune got in briefly as a rookie and went 12 of 21 for 62 yards with two intereptions. So Fields would be a bette brackup but he could also challenge Murray, whose only real passing advantage in this matchup recently has been in completion percentage. Murray has a 92.2 career passer rating to Fields' 82.3. However, Fields' has improved every year and was at 86.3 last year to Murray's 89.4. In fact, Murray's play hasn't been as effective since a knee injury and the departure of former coach Kliff Kingsbury with his gimmicky offense. Murray's touchdown percentage, yards per attempt and completion percentage have all been down the last two seasons. Fields is a better runner and beat the Cardinals at Soldier Field with Murray at QB. Fields is also much taller and able to see downfield better.
3. Seattle Seahawks
They need a backup behind Geno Smith, who has been good but not among the NFL's elite. Fields would, no doubt, be a challenger for starter here. New coach Mike Macdonald already said he would not commit to Smith as his starter for 2024. It's possible Seattle could be in position to draft a QB but they're back at 16 in the order and moving up would be very costly.
2. Minnesota Vikings
Sam Darnold is getting $10 million to be the Vikings starter. He has never thrown for more than 6.9 yards per attempt, has never been over 61.9% completions and is at 59.7% for his career, and he has a career passer rating of 78.3. He's going into Year 7. The other Vikings backups combined forces last year to produce a late-season collapse. Minnesota is capable of drafting a quarterback at No. 11 but not one of the top three and probably not J.J. McCarthy. Is Fields a better option at No. 11 thanMichael Penix Jr. or Bo Nix to back up or challenge Darnold?
If the Bears traded Fields to Minnesota, they could be asking for a whole world of trouble as a divisional opponent.
1. Denver Broncos
The only two QBs on the Denver roster are Ben DiNucci and Jarrett Stidham. Neither has much starting experience. Fields would find this one of the teams where he'd be an immediate starter, but is he the Sean Payton type of QB? Payton likes mobility but when he had someone of Fields' athletic ability he turned Taysom Hill into a gadget player. Would Fields become that type of QB or would he get a chance to start? Denver seems likely to draft a QB, but at 12th overall the Broncos might need to move up a few spots or settle for someone who should be taken later in Round 1. Fields might be a better option. And Denver has no second-round pick, so it can be difficult to move up very far in the draft to take a QB.
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