The Justin Fields era is officially over in Chicago. The former Bears quarterback was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a conditional 2025 sixth-round pick on Saturday, and while most Bears fans are happy that the quarterback drama is over, there's some disappointment over how Fields' time in Chicago ended.
The reality is that Fields was a victim of bad timing. It wasn't his fault that a more talented quarterback (a near-generational prospect) has been gifted to GM Ryan Poles in the 2024 NFL Draft. And it wasn't Fields' fault that the Bears were a trainwreck during his first two seasons in the league. But the NFL is a 'not for long' business, and since Fields didn't do enough as a passer during his first three seasons (38 starts), the Chicago Bears are moving on.
The next chapter for Fields will be in Pittsburgh, where Russell Wilson is expected to be the starter this year. But Fields is the ultimate competitor, and he'll do everything possible to earn the starting job next fall.
Here's what he'll look like in the Steelers Black and Yellow:
New look at #steelers quarterback @justnfields in his new uni 👀
— pickens muse (was picketts muse) (@gpickensmuse) March 17, 2024
ig: @johnparkerbach @athleticcontenthouse @carterdoesntgram pic.twitter.com/e55SPlnCMX
Ironically, Fields will replace another former Chicago Bears first-round pick as the Steelers backup. Mitch Trubisky, the No. 2 overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft, was signed by the Steelers in 2022 with the expectation he'd emerge as the team's starter. Pittsburgh drafted Kenny Pickett one month later, and now Trubisky is back with the Buffalo Bills as the top reserve behind Josh Allen.
Hopefully, Justin Fields will have more success than Trubisky.