Before the Bears traded quarterback Justin Fields to the Steelers, at least three other teams were involved in trade talks.
Fields said on teammate Cam Heyward’s podcast that the Chargers, Ravens and Raiders were three teams that showed interest, and that Fields wanted to go somewhere that he would be able to compete for a starting job.
“I’m not sure of all the teams, but there were a lot of teams that already had solidified quarterbacks and I didn’t want to do that. Chargers were one, Ravens were another,” Fields said. “Raiders, they talked a little bit. I don’t know too much. Who else was in there I don’t know, but a lot of teams had solidified quarterbacks who just got new contracts so I didn’t want to be there.”
Ultimately, Fields was traded to Pittsburgh, where Russell Wilson beat him out for the starting quarterback job, only to suffer a calf injury that has resulted in Fields starting all three games this season.
It appears to be working out well in Pittsburgh for Fields, who doesn’t have hard feelings toward the Bears for trading him and drafting Caleb Williams first overall. Fields said he first met Williams at a camp when Fields was at Ohio State and Williams was in high school, and that Williams was easily the best player on the field at the camp.
“He was night and day better than everybody else,” Fields said of Williams. “Him and JJ McCarthy were the best two, in my opinion.”
Now Fields is playing well enough that some are wondering whether the Bears should have kept him instead of trading him and drafting Williams.
