INDIANAPOLIS (`) — Bears general manager Ryan Poles said he would “do the right thing” with quarterback Justin Fields and trade him before free agency if Chicago decides to move on from the 24-year-old signal-caller.
This is the closest the Poles have come to admitting what most consider to be a fait accompli at this point: The Bears will draft a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick while Fields will continue his NFL career elsewhere in 2024.
Should the Bears ultimately reach that likely outcome, the Poles' next task will be to find a 2021 first-round draft pick.
A quick look at the quarterback situations and draft assets around the league quickly whittles down the potential landing spots to less than a handful.
But a team that has always seemed like a logical next home for Fields could position itself as the leader of a small group in Fields' competition – the Atlanta Falcons.
“You want to find the best solution for your people, you want to find the best solution for your coaches, you want to find the best solution for our city and you want to do all of those things,” Falcons head coach Raheem Morris told CBS Sports on Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine of Atlanta's QB search. “Nothing is ruled out. I forgot to mention trades because all of those things come into play. We were really arduous, we really went through the process of how to find the best solution for us.”
When Morris mentioned the “best fit” for the city, ears perked up everywhere and people immediately began connecting the dots with Fields, a native of Kennesaw, Georgia.
Morris knew it would make waves, but he reiterated the importance of adding a leader to his football team who would connect with the city and the fan base.
“People will read into those words or whatever — however they do those things,” Morris said. “There are people from Atlanta. There are people from the Atlanta area. You can name how close some of these people are. You have to do the best and right thing for your team at the right time. We won. “We can’t rule anything out until we have to make those decisions at that point.”
Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot spoke to the assembled media on Tuesday and didn't shy away from the fact that the Falcons are in the market for a new starting quarterback – be it through the draft, free agency or trade.
“Yes, we have to do it right, and that’s very clear. We didn’t shy away from it,” Fontenot said. “We know that’s crucial to getting this position right, but that’s not all. We've got to get the right quarterback, and we've got to improve the entire roster and get ready for the start of this season.
“We will keep all options open. Free agency, trade, draft – we're working on all of these things at the same time. We have a lot of really smart people in the building. We have a lot of really, really good people and we spend a lot of time with them and work on it.”
When asked what he looks for in a franchise quarterback, Fontenot seemed to point to the things the Bears praised Fields for during his time in Chicago — resiliency and leadership.
“It’s about who you are as a person,” Fontenot said. “There are many different tastes, abilities and physical characteristics, but what never changes is the makeup, character and work ethic.”
“With these guys, there’s no more pressure outside of the head coach … and you can’t predict how a person is going to handle that pressure. So you have to have the right things innately to deal with it.”
While Fields still needs to improve as a passer, his teammates and coaches rave about who he is as a person and how much work he has put into his craft to get better and nab the Bears franchise's quarterback job by the horns .
Fields did his best, but the unique situation of the Bears getting the No. 1 overall pick over the Carolina Panthers likely spelled his end in Chicago and a new beginning in Atlanta.
But the Falcons can't talk about that possibility yet.
“Two players under contract,” Morris said Tuesday in response to a question about Fields and Russell Wilson. “I have so much respect for our fans that I won’t get myself or us in trouble by talking about a specific person.”
“But it’s really exciting with the quarterback group that’s out there that we can win. That’s what our fan base is, that’s what our front office is, that’s what excites our coaches, to be able to talk about these guys in our (meeting) rooms.”
A league source told NBC Sports Chicago that the Falcons have inquired with the Bears about Fields. It's unclear how far those talks went, but there's reason to believe they will resume this week in Indianapolis.
Fields remains a bear for now.
But the Poles clearly signaled today that Chicago and Fields are likely headed for a breakup, while the Falcons lit a sign to get his attention that they might be very happy to take the young quarterback off his hands.
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