Falcons Make Trade Call on Justin Fields, Bears Breakup 'Likely': Report
The Atlanta Falcons and the Chicago Bears are hinting rather openly about the idea of a connection that could bring Georgia native Justin Fields home in a blockbuster trade, with one report insisting that the Falcons have already inquired about such a deal.
"A league source told NBC Sports Chicago that the Falcons have checked in with the Bears about Fields," the site writes. "It's unclear how far those conversations went but there's reason to expect them to pick back up this week in Indianapolis."
That fits, to some degree, with some of the remarks issued by the GMs of the two teams.
NFL Analysis Network
Bears GM Ryan Bears said he "no master plan" regarding the team's ownership of the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft and a Fields move. But he did concede that if the Bears decide to draft a quarterback at No. 1, he believes it would be the right thing to do to try and trade Fields before free agency opens with the "legal tampering period" starting March 11.
"Yeah, again it just depends on what opportunities pop up," Poles said. "We will gather the information, we will move as quickly as possible, we are not going to be in a rush and see what presents itself and what's best for the organization."
Fields, 24, is in a sort of limbo as Chicago weighs whether to pay him his fifth-year option and retain him as their franchise QB, or to move on to a more affordable choice - and maybe a better player - by drafting Caleb Williams, Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels.
Meanwhile, the Falcons spoke frankly about the incumbent QBs here, with new coach Raheem Morris saying there might not have been a job opening for him had last year's play at the position not been so poor.
"If we had better quarterback play, I may not be standing here," Morris said in his Indy press conference.
Added GM Terry Fontenot, whose Falcons own the No. 8 overall pick: "We’ve got to get (the QB position) right, and that’s real clear. We haven’t shied away from that ... We're going to keep all options open. Free agency, trade, draft - we're working through all those things simultaneously.
"We have a lot of really smart people in the building. We have a lot of really, really good people ..."
And maybe a trade is coming that would bring another "good one" into the building in Justin Fields.
