Here are the possible landing spots for Bears QB Justin Fields

Justin Fields’ days as a Chicago Bear might be coming to an end. With rumors circulating about if the team will draft a new QB — undoubtedly former Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams — with that No. 1 pick, keep Fields, or trade him, here are six teams who have either emerged as front runners for a trade, or potential landing spots for the 24-year-old signal caller.

Pittsburgh has not had a legitimate threat at quarterback in, what, five years now?

Kenny Pickett has been a serviceable quarterback for the Steelers. Even at his best, though, Pickett is a highly limited prospect that is more about his floor than a potential ceiling.

The Steelers are the fourth team in arguably the hardest conference in football.

Getting a quarterback like Fields – even with his raw passing traits – gives Pittsburgh a ceiling that lets them compete in the AFC North. With Pittsburgh’s consistent track record of landing high-end skill position players, they have the perfect infrastructure to help Fields grow into a high-end quarterback.

The Atlanta Falcons are in the market for a quarterback but sit far enough back that it’s unlikely any of the top three quarterbacks will fall to them in the first round.

While Atlanta seems like a likely landing spot for late talents like Michael Penix Jr. or Spencer Rattler, but they just ran through this same exercise with Desmond Ridder. That has yet to yield any positive results.

Drafting a quarterback while acquiring Fields would be a best-of-both-worlds situation. The fourth-year quarterback has already shown more than their last reclamation project Marcus Mariota ever did. Atlanta has plenty of incredible skill position talent to supplement Fields’ game. If the former Bear doesn’t hit, his second-in-command will have spent a full year developing on the bench.

The New England Patriots were just a few picks shy of landing Fields the first time around. Instead, they picked Mac Jones, and it’s helped them do a whole lot of nothing.

In fact, the team actively decayed around Jones over his three years as the starter.

This is now a team far away from actually competing. While the Patriots sit in a draft spot primed for the third quarterback to fall, New England needs a lot more to actually return to contention status.

With a new head coach in Jerod Mayo and a front office with a long leash, it might behoove the Patriots to trade back, draft a quarterback late, and spend a bit less capital acquiring Fields in a trade. Fields can create with his legs, and the run-heavy offense of Alex Van Pelt looks like a prime way to maximize the Bears quarterback’s mobility.

There is always an option to not trade the guy who has been your franchise QB for the last few seasons. The Bears have been building their rebuild around Fields, so why get rid of the guy who is supposed to be the anchor?

Maybe the Bears are giving up on him too early. He has only been in Chicago for three seasons, draft someone like Marvin Harrison Jr. first overall and create some assets for Fields.

However, with that first pick, how do you not go for a QB?

The Raiders are low-key a perfect fit for Fields. Garoppolo is suspended and otherwise done in Vegas, and Aidan O’Connell lacks in throwing deep, which Fields is good at.

Fields also has the ability to extend the play while under pressure with his legs, while O’Connell still panics a bit. O’Connell needs some more time to grow those parts of his game, but as a QB duo, plus targets like Jakobi Meyers and Davante Adams will help Vegas’ offense to get going.

Fields gets a fresh start, with some new receivers and a new system, and it’s warmer than Chicago.

What if Aaron Rodgers blows out his other Achilles? What if Zach Wilson finally gets traded? Who will the Jets turn to? Justin Fields.

Realistically, Rodgers can’t play forever, and Gang Green needs a more reliable backup QB than the carousel they have. He is the complete opposite of Rodgers in terms of being able to run the ball. The Jets do have good running backs, but Fields will make the run if the gap is there. He can throw, and most importantly, he is younger than 40.

Once Rodgers retires, there will hopefully be a peaceful transition of power and Fields can get to work.