Justin Fields to the Falcons? Atlanta named possible trade destination

Most Chicago Bears fans have come to grips with the reality that Justin Fields will be traded this offseason. It’s a reality that should excite those fans, considering it means GM Ryan Poles will select USC star Caleb Williams with the first pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Still, Fields holds a special place in Bears fans’ hearts. He won’t be traded because he failed as a quarterback in Chicago. Instead, he’s a victim of bad timing, it isn’t his fault a generational quarterback will be delivered to the Bears’ doorstep in two months.

Unlike when Mitch Trubisky’s Bears tenure ended, there’s no doubt Fields will be a starter in 2024. Trubisky was forced to dust himself off as a backup, a role he still serves entering 2024. Fields, meanwhile, will be sought after by quarterback-needy teams as a potential long-term starter. Naturally, Bears fans are anxious about where Fields might emerge and whether trading him will come back to haunt Chicago.

The best-case scenario would be a deal that sends Justin Fields to the AFC. The New England Patriots are rumored to have interest, but they could also select their QB next with the third overall pick.

It seems more likely that a team picking outside of striking distance for one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft will swing a deal for Fields, and with his hometown ties to Georgia, the Atlanta Falcons are a natural fit.

NFL Network’s trifecta of insiders — Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero, and Mike Garafolo — identified the Falcons as a team that might offer a “premium pick” for Fields as we inch closer to the Scouting Combine and the league’s business season.

“If that all tracks, expect the Bears to be able to fetch a premium pick for Fields, who came on late in the season and flashed the potential he’s always had,” the insiders wrote. “The kind of leader he is in the locker room stands out, as well. This should be an active market, with teams such as the Falcons, in need of a quarterback but possibly drafting too late (No. 8 overall) for a premium one, emerging as an option, along with any other team that doesn’t believe it can land a top QB in the draft.”

Keeping Fields in the NFC would be a risky proposition. Sending him to a Falcons team loaded with skill talent (Bijan Robinson, Drake London, Kyle Pitts) could be downright scary, too.

If the Chicago Bears are deadset on trading Fields, which may not be the case according to Adam Schefter, the market may not allow them to choose where to send him. If the Falcons are the highest bidder? That’s where he’ll go.

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