Bear Digest

Is Justin Fields Stalemate Leading to Steelers?

Analysis: Adam Schefter's ESPN report of little interest in Justin Fields aside from Steelers may mean the vigil over Bears QB's departure will go on into free agency.
Gene Chamberlain|
Is Justin Fields Stalemate Leading to Steelers?
Is Justin Fields Stalemate Leading to Steelers?

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Chicago Bears

The combine closes Sunday with offensive linemen running, an anticlimax if ever one existed.

Pie eating might be more appropriate and definitely more fun and satisfying. 

Even after this, with Indianapolis in the Bears' rear view mirrors, the conversation will continue over the possibility of a Justin Fields trade.

A report early Saturday had said the Bears and Falcons were close to some sort of trade agreement on Fields, but this seemed entirely unlikely considering what actually came out later in the day from ESPN insider Adam Schefter.

"I think Atlanta will be something of a surprise right now to trade for Justin Fields,” Schefter said, via On3.com. 

It had only been four days earlier when the combine opened and Atlanta coach Raheem Morris and GM Terry Fontnenot were very poorly playing "I've got a secret." They strongly hinted at someone from their area joining the team and Fields is from Atlanta. Maybe they were talking about Kirk Cousins because his wife is from Atlanta?

So what then of Fields? GM Ryan Poles said he didn't want to leave Fields hanging "...in the gray," and it looks like he'll be left there a while longer.

“There's been some conversations about the Pittsburgh Steelers, maybe something can be figured out there," Schefter later said on ESPN's SportsCenter.

The Steelers? 

That ship seemed to set sail two weeks ago when everyone was told offensive coordinator Arthur Smith wouldn't be interested in Fields as he had the chance to draft the Bears QB in 2021 with Atlanta and didn't. And then there was the Gerry Dulac report saying the Steelers decision-makers were just not into Fields.

What does appear certain at this point, as a deadline of sorts approaches with the March 11 free agency negotiating period, is the Bears do not hold the key to the entire NFL offseason like so many analysts suggested heading to the combine.

The key to the entire NFL offseason is held by Kirk Cousins. 

If the Vikings free agent QB signs to stay with Minnesota, the Falcons are left scurrying after Fields and the Bears have a decent market to get something in exchange before they draft Caleb Williams. 

If the Vikings can't retain Cousins and he joins Atlanta with some former coaches he worked with in the past, then the Bears are really left with very little choice but to trade Fields to the Steelers or anyone else they can convince. 

Offers will surely take a nosedive then.

Schefter also mentioned the Raiders among possible teams interested but how interested can they be with former Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy as their offensive coordinator?

At the combine, Steelers GM Omar Khan sure seemed like someone who is protecting some great secrets.

"I'm not gonna go into details about the conversations that we've had,” Khan told reporters. “But like I mentioned earlier, I can tell you that I have an obligation to look at every avenue that's out there to make us a better football team."

That didn't sound much like reports from a few weeks ago in which the Steelers seemed content with giving Kenny Pickett another chance and also Mason Rudolph.

The consensus among guessers earlier seemed to be a second-round pick and a fourth- or fifth-rounder for Fields, but it's safe to wonder if this would be the case if the Falcons actually were to get Cousins to Atlanta. 

The shrinking market would mean less in return.

A little less than two months ago Bears GM Ryan Poles was asked for some sort of timetable on a possible trade, as if he could somehow project this in mid-January.

"It depends on what factors are in it, but in my mind right now I'm going to take this all the way to April," Poles said. Later he pulled out the "gray" quote.

Now, after the two-month guessing game, even another week until that potential deadline with the March 11 start of free agent negotiations seems like forever.

Schefter brought up the possibility that if there is no market for Fields by the start of free agency, it could linger on until after the veteran quarterback shuffling subsides.

That really could be at the start of April or late March.

If it actually goes on into April until Fields' fate is decided, then some sort of anticlimax along the lines of the one Sunday for the combine will seem a very welcome conclusion to a lot of frazzled Bears fans.

At that point, any way of ending it would be welcome.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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