A new wrinkle has popped up and could throw a wrench in the Chicago Bears’ plans to trade quarterback Justin Fields.
The Patriots are reportedly open to trading quarterback Mac Jones
Another quarterback potentially entering the trade market is the kind of thing that could be a real burr in Ryan Poles’ saddle. So we shouldn’t take this report of the New England Patriots being open to trading quarterback Mac Jones lightly:
Jones was the fifth quarterback taken in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. The 15th overall selection in that draft class, Jones put together a Pro Bowl season as a rookie (67.7% completions, 3,801 passing yards, 22 TDs, 92.5 passer rating) but has failed to match those heights in the following seasons. In fact, Jones has 24 touchdown passes and an 81.4 passer rating in 25 games since the start of the 2022 season. But with a new coaching staff in tow, perhaps it is time for a clean slate.
If the Bears are going to trade Justin Fields, then they should know that Mac Jones’ inclusion on the trade market complicates things on that front. The more quarterbacks that enter the market, the muddier the trade waters get. And that teams are calling the Patriots and doing background work on Jones hints at a potential pursuit being serious.
For what it’s worth, there is a part of me that wonders if it takes less for a team to acquire Fields than it would to snag Jones. The fifth-year option for quarterbacks selected to one Pro Bowl is $34.367 million. And while Jones has that under his belt, Fields’ fifth-year option comes in at $25.664 million. Even with the 2024 NFL salary cap getting a bump, that $8.7 million difference could be enough for a team eyeing a quarterback on a buy-low situation. Stay tuned.
Another report hinting at the Bears plans to trade Justin Fields
In my years as a reporter, writer, and human, one thing I’ve learned that still sticks with me is that everybody knows somebody and you never know who knows what, when, and where.
So, with that being said, yes I saw the tweet from a Bears podcaster saying: “I have it from a source as close to the situation as you could be at this point that Justin Fields is, in fact, staying in Chicago (barring something very unforeseen/ drastic).” And, frankly, I’m not sure what to do with that other than share it here and acknowledge its existence. I don’t want to do the thing where we’re trying to figure out someone’s credentials or motivations behind sending such a post.
That leads me to this, from Adam Rank, who discussed the rumor on his latest podcast and chimed in with what he’s heard:
“Not to blow up anybody. I’m not going to give up who these people are. But I’m getting texts during the show that tell me that the Bears are not keeping Justin Fields.”
I’ll say this for Adam Rank: He’s been at NFL Network for a hot minute and probably has industry connects who reached out to him. So while I don’t want to get into pitting information of two Bears fans against each other, there seems to have been more info pointing toward the Bears moving Fields than there has been suggesting they’ll keep him. But nothing is official until it’s officially official. The beat keeps going and the world keeps spinning. And for now, Justin Fields remains with the Chicago Bears.