Falcons Ex Arthur Smith Pushing Steelers Out of Justin Fields Trade Sweepstakes?
The Atlanta Falcons are among a few teams who could look to trade for Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields in the coming months, and they will have some competition for his services.
Another team in the veteran quarterback market is the Pittsburgh Steelers, who recently hired former Falcons coach Arthur Smith to be their offensive coordinator.
Dec 31, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields (1) passes in the first half against the Atlanta Falcons at Soldier Field.
Credit: Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports
NFL Network analyst Steve Wyche believes Smith's hire in Pittsburgh hurts the Steelers' chances of trading for him.
“This conversation about the Steelers continues to intrigue me, because Arthur Smith, when he was the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, he wanted no parts of Justin Fields," Wyche said on "The NFL Report". "He had the possibility to draft him. They took Kyle Pitts. … Why now, all of sudden, would the head coach who designed the offense taking a liking to Justin Fields?"
The Falcons had the opportunity to select Fields with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but the quarterback-needy team opted for tight end Kyle Pitts.
With Smith out of Atlanta, it makes the Falcons more likely to trade for him ... and less likely for the Steelers to do so. Coach Mike Tomlin likes Fields, but it's hard to imagine the team trading for him after Smith said "no" at the 2021 NFL Draft.
Perhaps there could be a change of heart, but this could knock the Steelers out of the Fields conversations and make the Falcons a likelier destination for the Bears quarterback on the trade block.
