Ryan Poles hopes to 'do right' by Justin Fields, hints at potential trade

All eyes are on the Chicago Bears ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft as the franchise has a variety of different potential moves to make this offseason, especially at the quarterback position.

Chicago holds the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming draft following their trade with the Carolina Panthers along with their own No. 9 selection. But with former first-round quarterback selection Justin Fields still on their roster and the opportunity to select the consensus top prospect and a generational talent in USC quarterback Caleb Williams, many are curious how the Bears will navigate their quarterback situation.

Bears general manager Ryan Poles may have hinted at what move Chicago will make at the quarterback position on Tuesday after being asked if he’d be motivated to move on from Fields via a trade early ahead of free agency if they do in fact draft a quarterback with the top pick.

“It just depends on what opportunities pop up,” Poles said on Tuesday. “I will say this, I think you guys know me well enough now, if we go down that road I wanna do right by Justin as well. No one wants to live in gray. I know that’s uncomfortable. I wouldn’t wanna be in that situation either. So we’ll gather the information. We’ll move as quickly as possible. We’re not gonna be in a rush. And see what presents itself and what’s best for the organization.”

Poles did not reveal all his cards with his answer, but did make it clear that trading Fields not only is a possibility, but that the organization would want to do right by him following his third season with the franchise.

Chicago drafted Fields with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, appearing in 40 games with 38 starts in his three seasons with the team in a stretch where the Bears have had a disappointing 16-35 record.

Fields has shown steady improvement throughout his tenure in Chicago, throwing for 6,674 yards, rushing for 2,220 yards, and scoring 54 total touchdowns for the Bears in three seasons. But with Poles presenting the idea of avoiding gray areas and uncomfortable situations with Justin Fields, it’s clear that drafting a quarterback as his successor and moving on from him is a possibility.

“The one thing that’s important for us is just continuing to communicate and be transparent with Justin, and we’ll continue to do that with him and his team,” Poles told Stacey Dales. “But we have to continue to be open-minded about everything.”