Bears reportedly trade Justin Fields to Steelers in a 'stunner' | Pro Football Talk | NFL on NBC

NFL on NBC
16 Mar 202407:13

Summary

TLDRIn a surprising turn of events, the Pittsburgh Steelers have acquired both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, signaling a major shift in their quarterback strategy. Wilson, a Super Bowl-winning quarterback, was signed for $1.21 million, while Fields, a promising young talent, was traded for a conditional 2025 sixth-round pick. This bold move by the Steelers could potentially transform their offense, as new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith will have the opportunity to utilize both players' unique skill sets. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears' decision to trade Fields for a relatively low draft pick has raised eyebrows, as many expected a higher return for the talented quarterback.

Takeaways

  • 🏈 Justin Fields has been traded from the Chicago Bears to the Pittsburgh Steelers, marking a significant move in the NFL.
  • 🤔 The trade for Fields involves a conditional 2025 sixth-round pick, which is considered a low-cost investment for the Steelers.
  • 🔄 The Steelers recently made several quarterback changes, including trading Kenny Pickett, letting Mason Rudolph sign elsewhere, and cutting Mitch Trubisky after the Super Bowl.
  • 🏆 Russell Wilson, a Super Bowl-winning quarterback, has also joined the Steelers for $1.21 million, alongside Fields.
  • 💡 The combination of Wilson and Fields could lead to innovative offensive strategies for the Steelers, potentially using Fields in specialty packages similar to how Cordell Stewart was utilized in 1995.
  • 🤷‍♂️ The Bears' decision to trade Fields for a sixth-round pick within the division has raised questions about their strategy.
  • 🤝 The Steelers' new offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith, has a lot of options with both Wilson and Fields on the roster, which could lead to a dynamic offense.
  • 🚀 The Steelers' moves signal a significant shift from their usual approach and a major commitment to improving their quarterback position.
  • 🏆 The potential of both Wilson and Fields playing together could make the Steelers a formidable team in the AFC North for the 2024 season.
  • 🌟 The Bears, with new additions like Keenan Allen, DJ Moore, and DeAndre Swift, plus the possible acquisition of Caleb Williams, could become a strong team in the near future.

Q & A

  • Which team did Justin Fields move to from the Chicago Bears?

    -Justin Fields was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

  • What was the reported condition for the trade of Justin Fields?

    -The trade involved a conditional 2025 sixth-round pick.

  • How much did the Steelers invest in Russell Wilson compared to Justin Fields in terms of financial commitment?

    -Russell Wilson is making $39 million, while Justin Fields is expected to earn around $5 million this year, including bonuses.

  • What is the significance of the Steelers' acquisition of both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields?

    -The move signifies a major shift in the Steelers' strategy, as they are typically not known for such aggressive moves in the quarterback market. It also indicates their commitment to improving their offense to match their championship-caliber defense.

  • What historical comparison was made in the script regarding Justin Fields' potential usage?

    -The script compared Justin Fields' potential usage to how the Steelers used Cordell Stewart in 1995, suggesting that Fields could be utilized in specialty packages to put stress on the defense.

  • What was the critique of the Bears' handling of the trade involving Justin Fields?

    -The critique was that the Bears should have held onto Fields to potentially get more value in the draft, especially if a team looking for a quarterback did not get their first choice. The Bears were seen as not maximizing Fields' trade value.

  • Which other teams were mentioned as potential suitors for Justin Fields?

    -The Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, and Minnesota Vikings were mentioned as teams that could have been interested in trading for Fields.

  • What was the reaction to the Steelers' acquisition of both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields?

    -The reaction was one of surprise and disbelief, as it was considered a major coup for the Steelers and a significant departure from their usual approach to team management.

  • What was the speculation about the future of the Bears after trading Fields?

    -There was speculation that the Bears might become a formidable force with new acquisitions like Keenan Allen, DJ Moore, and DeAndre Swift, and potentially Caleb Williams, indicating a possible resurgence in the near future.

  • What was the final comment made by the speaker regarding the Steelers and their AFC North rivals?

    -The speaker expressed a sense of fear for the defenses in the AFC North, suggesting that teams should be wary of playing against the Steelers in 2024 due to their strengthened quarterback position with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.

Outlines

00:00

🏈 Justin Fields Trade to Steelers and Russell Wilson Acquisition

The first paragraph discusses the surprising trade of Justin Fields from the Chicago Bears to the Pittsburgh Steelers, along with the acquisition of Russell Wilson. It highlights the Steelers' need for a quarterback after several changes and the low cost of the trade for Fields, a 2025 sixth-round pick. The paragraph also compares the financial investment in Wilson and Fields and speculates on how the Steelers might use Fields in unique ways, similar to how Cordell Stewart was utilized in 1995. The narrative reflects on the Steelers' unexpected moves and the potential for both Wilson and Fields to be on the field simultaneously, providing a wealth of options for the new offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith.

05:02

🎲 Steelers' Quarterback Strategy and Bears' Future

The second paragraph continues the discussion on the Steelers' strategy with their new quarterbacks, emphasizing their all-in approach to bolster their offense to match their championship-caliber defense. It also mentions the potential impact on the AFC North and speculates on the possibility of the Bears becoming a formidable team with their new acquisitions, including Keenan Allen, DJ Moore, and DeAndre Swift. The paragraph concludes with a tease about the Aaron Rodgers situation and signs off with a personal note on the presenter's experiences and thanks to the audience for their support.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡PFT pm

PFT pm is a special edition of a sports talk show, presumably focused on the NFL. In the context of the script, it is mentioned as the platform where the discussion about the recent quarterback shuffle is taking place. The show seems to be a source of news analysis and commentary, providing insights into the latest developments in professional football.

💡Justin Fields

Justin Fields is a professional American football quarterback who, according to the script, has been traded from the Chicago Bears to the Pittsburgh Steelers. This trade is considered a 'stunner' by the speaker, indicating it was unexpected and significant.

💡Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are part of the NFL and are mentioned in the script as the team that has acquired both Justin Fields and Russell Wilson, indicating a significant overhaul of their quarterback position.

💡Russell Wilson

Russell Wilson is a well-known professional American football quarterback who has won a Super Bowl and is considered a potential Hall of Famer. In the context of the script, Wilson has been traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers, which is a significant event given his stature and past performance.

💡Conditional 2025 sixth round pick

A 'conditional 2025 sixth round pick' refers to a future draft choice in the 2025 NFL Draft, where the selection is dependent on certain conditions being met. In this case, it is the price the Steelers paid to acquire Justin Fields, which is described as 'nothing', indicating that it is considered a low-cost investment.

💡Cordell Stewart

Cordell Stewart, also known as Neil O'Donnell, is a former NFL quarterback. In the script, he is brought up as a historical example of a dual-threat quarterback who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1995. The speaker suggests that Justin Fields could play a similar role, using his abilities both as a passer and a runner to stress the defense.

💡Arthur Smith

Arthur Smith is mentioned as the new offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers. His role is significant as he will be responsible for devising strategies and plays that could potentially involve both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields on the field simultaneously, adding a layer of complexity and intrigue to the team's offensive plans.

💡Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears are an NFL team based in Chicago, Illinois. In the context of the script, they are the original team of Justin Fields, whom they traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The speaker criticizes the Bears for not maximizing the value of their trade asset, suggesting they could have received more than a conditional 2025 sixth round pick.

💡Draft pick

A 'draft pick' is a player selection in the NFL Draft, through which teams choose eligible college football players to join their rosters. The script mentions the concept in relation to the trade of Justin Fields, emphasizing the perceived low value of the pick given up by the Bears in return for Fields.

💡Salary cap

The 'salary cap' in the NFL is a limit on the amount of money a team can spend on player salaries for a given year. It is a crucial aspect of team management and strategy, as it affects the ability to sign and retain players. In the script, the speaker mentions the financial investment in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, highlighting the importance of managing within the salary cap constraints.

💡All-in

The phrase 'all-in' is used to describe a situation where someone is fully committed or invested in a particular course of action. In the context of the script, it refers to the Pittsburgh Steelers' aggressive approach to improving their team, particularly at the quarterback position, by acquiring both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.

Highlights

Special edition of PFT pm on a Saturday night discussing major NFL transactions.

Justin Fields traded from the Chicago Bears to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Steelers' surprising trade for Justin Fields after recent quarterback changes.

Fields acquired for a conditional 2025 sixth-round pick, considered a low price.

Steelers also signed Russell Wilson for $1.21 million, a significant investment.

Comparison of the Steelers' acquisitions to other teams' strategies.

Speculation on how Russell Wilson and Justin Fields might compete and coexist on the Steelers.

Historical reference to the 1995 Steelers and the use of dual-threat quarterbacks.

Discussion on the potential offensive strategies with Fields and Wilson for the Steelers.

Critique of the Bears' handling of the Fields trade and potential missed opportunities.

Mention of the Bears' other acquisitions, including Keenan Allen, DJ Moore, and DeAndre Swift.

Prediction of a possible Super Bowl matchup between the Steelers and Bears in the future.

Commentary on the Steelers' unexpected aggressive moves in the quarterback market.

Allusion to the potential impact of the Steelers' moves on the AFC North division.

Reflection on the week's surprising NFL transactions beyond the Steelers and Bears.

Closing remarks and thanks to the audience for watching PFT pm.

Transcripts

00:01

well it's the first time for everything

00:02

a special edition of PFT pm on a

00:05

Saturday night from The Barn took a

00:08

break from playing a little Shuffle

00:10

bowling to react to the shuffling if you

00:13

will of Justin fields from the Chicago

00:15

Bears to the Pittsburgh Steelers what a

00:18

stunner now the Steelers needed another

00:20

quarterback after jettisoning canning

00:23

picket to the Philadelphia Eagles

00:25

letting Mason Rudolph sign elsewhere

00:28

cutting Mitch trubisky right after to

00:30

the Super Bowl all they have was Russell

00:31

Wilson now they got Justin fields for a

00:33

conditional 2025 sixth round pick that

00:37

is nothing that's the kind of thing that

00:40

pretty much any other team in the league

00:42

should have wanted to match or beat

00:44

where are the Broncos where are the

00:46

Raiders where are the Vikings not that

00:48

the Bears would have wanted to trade him

00:50

within the division but in the same week

00:53

the Steelers got Russell Wilson for

00:55

$1.21 million a guy who has won a Super

00:59

Bowl when back to another and could have

01:02

won another if they would have called a

01:03

run instead of a pass in a key moment

01:05

was a consensus choice to head to the

01:07

Hall of Fame before his last two years

01:10

in Denver they get him for 1.21 million

01:14

and they get Justin fields for a 2025

01:17

sixth round pick he's got a base salary

01:20

plus bonuses in the range of I think

01:22

five million or so this year as a first-

01:25

round pick in

01:27

2021 it's nothing it's peanuts they get

01:30

a guy who many thought last year was on

01:33

the verge of breaking

01:35

out to be the backup apparently to the

01:38

guy who was on track to have a bronze

01:40

bust in Canton now how much will Russell

01:43

Wilson and Justin Fields compete who

01:45

knows I got a thought though and this is

01:48

influenced by 50 years of being in and

01:50

around Pittsburgh I think back 20

01:53

years 30 years good Lord time has flown

01:57

30

01:58

years to

02:02

1995 Cordell Stewart a rookie slash Neil

02:07

o Donald the starter Cordell Stewart

02:10

comes in from time to time plays a

02:12

little receiver plays a little

02:14

quarterback pardon the shuffle alley

02:16

it's beckoning that I return what about

02:18

Justin fields in specialty packages just

02:21

like they used Cordell Stewart back in

02:24

1995 talk about something that'll put

02:27

stress on a defense we know what Justin

02:28

Fields can do with the ball in his hands

02:30

we know that he's one of the most

02:32

dangerous running quarterbacks in the

02:34

NFL will they start using him in

02:37

different ways they've made this

02:38

investment although the draft pick

02:40

investment isn't significant there's a

02:42

financial investment greater than

02:44

Russell Wilson now Russell Wilson's

02:45

making 39 million but he's getting 1.21

02:48

from the Steelers Fields is going to get

02:50

a lot more than that I think they'll

02:52

find a way to use him I think that we'll

02:55

see maybe both guys on the field at the

02:58

same time either way it gives new

02:59

offensive coord Arthur Smith a lot of

03:01

things he can do a lot of ways he can go

03:03

this is fascinating for this Steelers

03:05

and this is so out of

03:06

character to give up on Kenny picket

03:09

after two years to cut Mitch trubisky

03:12

who they liked enough to give an

03:13

extension to last year to move on from

03:15

Mason Rudolph who started the last three

03:17

games of the regular season and was

03:19

pretty damn good and gave the bills more

03:21

of a fight than we thought they were

03:22

going to get from the Steelers in the

03:24

Wild Card round all three are gone

03:27

Russell Wilson Justin Fields now as to

03:29

the Bears I was starting to think and we

03:32

may have mentioned this on PFT live that

03:34

they should have just held Fields

03:36

through the draft through round one if a

03:39

team that's looking for a quarterback in

03:40

round one doesn't get the quarterback

03:42

they want that's when you can maybe get

03:45

something more than a 2025 six round

03:47

pick for fields and if that doesn't work

03:50

out I mean surely they could have moved

03:52

him on draft weekend from more than a

03:55

2025 six round pick to somebody that

03:57

didn't get a quarterback whether it's in

03:58

round one round two round wherever at

04:01

some point yeah we'll give you a sixth

04:02

round pick next year for Justin fields

04:04

we give you a fifth round pick you'll do

04:05

even better I know they wanted to do

04:08

right by Justin Fields but you can do

04:10

wrong by yourself and I thought maybe

04:13

the best case scenario would say to

04:15

Justin Fields here's what we'll do

04:16

there's no starting opportunity out

04:18

there for you if you go to be a number

04:21

two somewhere else you're counting on

04:22

one guy getting injured if you stay

04:26

here any guy gets injured and maybe the

04:29

the phone rings and we place you in a

04:32

spot where you can walk right in as the

04:34

starter potentially and we get more then

04:37

a six round pick in 2025 I'm stunned at

04:41

how the Bears handled this I'm amazed at

04:44

the Steelers have taken a step away from

04:46

the way they usually do things and

04:48

gotten so much this week this has been a

04:49

major coup for the Steelers Russell

04:51

Wilson and Justin fields in one week

04:54

it's unbelievable and the Steelers are

04:56

the last team that you would expect to

04:58

make a kind of move like this hey Jerry

04:59

Jones you want to know what Allin looks

05:01

like Allin looks like what the Steelers

05:04

are doing at the quarterback position

05:06

they're Allin they're trying to address

05:08

one of the weaknesses on the team

05:10

they're trying to get an offense to go

05:11

along with that defense that's already

05:13

Championship caliber the offense has

05:15

been dragging the team down so here we

05:18

go indeed oh mama I'm in fear for my

05:21

life defens is in the AFC North should

05:24

be anybody that plays the Steelers in

05:27

2025 or four getting my year mixed up I

05:30

haven't had that much to drink yet

05:32

anybody that plays the Steelers in 2024

05:34

should be they got Russell Wilson they

05:36

got Justin Fields they're gonna find a

05:39

way I believe to use them both and also

05:42

May bury the headline here it's not

05:45

pretty damn clear Caleb Williams is

05:46

going to be a Chicago Bear isn't

05:48

it unless they find something when he

05:51

visits the team and he submits to a

05:54

physical the one that he didn't submit

05:56

to in

05:57

Indianapolis they're going to take him

06:00

and they got Keenan Allen and they got

06:01

DJ Moore and they got DeAndre Swift the

06:04

Bears may be a force to be reckoned with

06:06

as well maybe one of these years before

06:08

too long the Steelers and the Bears get

06:10

together in the Super Bowl who knows

06:12

crazier things have happened crazier

06:13

things have happened this week and I

06:15

haven't even gotten into the whole Aaron

06:16

Rogers thing and I won't so I'm gonna

06:18

sign off for now by the way thanks to

06:20

the Bucks they were very happy with all

06:22

the nice things we were saying about how

06:25

Jason light the GM of the team regards

06:27

Baker Mayfield as a

06:30

on the prick scale they actually like

06:32

that so uh hey you know and I wasn't

06:34

trying to get I I can be bought as I've

06:36

said time and again I'm not the guy you

06:37

kill I'm the guy you buy so I got this

06:40

great new cream sickle hoodie I hooked

06:43

Sims up as well sim said I played

06:46

for them I should get one too so he got

06:48

one I got one life is good life's going

06:51

to be better once I hit the bar on the

06:54

other side of the screen have a little

06:56

drink have a little smoke get back to

06:59

work

07:00

signing off on a rare Saturday night PFT

07:02

PM see you Monday morning for PFT live

07:05

hi it's Mike Florio thanks for watching

07:07

PFT on YouTube hit subscribe for the

07:09

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07:11

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