The Chicago Bears have gone through a lot of changes this summer. The Bears are determining the location of a new stadium and reshaping their roster around rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. The organization paved the way for Williams’ arrival by dealing previous franchise quarterback Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers in March. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated just published an article detailing the events leading up to the trade, as well as what head coach Matt Eberflus said to Fields after the trade.
The Bears intended to do their homework on Caleb Williams quickly in the hopes of getting a Fields deal done as fast as possible. However, Williams’ top 30 visit on March 6th was rescheduled. This pushed trade negotiations into the free agency period, during which QB chairs were filling up before the Bears felt comfortable pulling the trigger.
GM Ryan Poles agreed to trade Fields to the Steelers for a 2024 sixth-round pick that could become a fourth if Fields plays more than half the snaps in the 2024 season. After closing the deal, Poles drove to Eberflus’s house so the two could deliver the news to Fields together.
We thanked him for his leadership, for the work ethic and just the man that he is, how he’s always been a wonderful guy,” Eberflus said. “I just told him, ‘Hey, I really enjoyed our relationship together the last couple years.’ I said, “That certainly doesn’t end here.’ The relationship that he and I built over the first couple years is special and no one can ever take that away from us.”
Eberflus and Poles thanked Fields for everything. Fields complimented them for their open communication during those challenging few weeks. Poles and Eberflus then began calling club leaders to inform them of the upcoming deal before the news broke.
The Bears needed to trade Justin Fields, in part, because they wasted much of his rookie deal without surrounding the young QB with a strong supporting cast. It’s reasonable to wonder what Fields could have become in Chicago if he entered the league in a situation similar to what Caleb Williams will see.
Chicago looks to have learned from its blunders during the Fields era. Caleb Williams will be well-positioned to thrive early in his rookie season, but success is never assured.
Williams joins a Chicago offense that has a formidable arsenal of weapons. The running back room is stacked with D’Andre Swift, Khalil Herbert, and Roschon Johnson. D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, and rookie Rome Odunze share the receiver room. Cole Kmet, a tight end, is also a deadly pass-catcher.
