ESPN offers WILD trade idea for Bears QB Justin Fields

Justin Fields’ time as a Chicago Bear is slowly (and painfully) coming to an end. General manager Ryan Poles sounded like an executive preparing to trade his starting quarterback during his media session at the NFL Combine, and several teams have already been connected to the former first-round pick.

The Atlanta Falcons are the obvious choice. Fields is a Georgia native, and the only piece the Falcons are missing on offense is quarterback. Sure, Atlatnat could kick the tires on Kirk Cousins or a Russell Wilson trade, but neither of those transactions would move the needle like Fields in an offense with Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been mentioned as a potential trade partner, too. Coach Mike Tomlin is a big Justin Fields guy, and with Kenny Pickett coming off a disappointing 2023 season, rumors about the Steelers making an aggressive play for Fields continue to circulate.

But there’s a new team that could be entering the fray. At least, it’s a team that ESPN’s Seth Walder identified as a perfect landing spot for Fields: The Cleveland Browns.

Say what?

The Browns are fresh off giving Deshaun Watson a franchise-crippling contract, and even if he doesn’t pan out, they may have backed into a quality quarterback for the next two years with Joe Flacco, who won the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year Award this season.

Still, Walder would love to see Cleveland bring Fields back to Ohio.

“This is a wild one, I know,” Walder wrote. “But if I were the Browns, I would look at Deshaun Watson as mostly a Raheem Morris said he wants a quarterback who can connect with the fans and the community.

A hometown guy certainly fits that bill, doesn’t he?