For the most part, the Pittsburgh Steelers have drawn rave reviews after acquiring former Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields for a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft on March 16th.
In his most recent article for CBS Sports, Cody Benjamin gave the Steelers' acquisition of Fields the lone A+ rating. Benjamin said that his demise as the starting quarterback for the Bears was a result of injuries and a lack of support from others, in addition to the fact that the team did not use any 2024 draft money in the trade.
"Fields battled injuries and untimely turnovers in three years with the Bears, but he also got mostly woeful support from the team. Giving up a conditional future sixth-rounder for a 25-year-old quarterback with starting experience and proven dual-threat electricity is a no-brainer of a low-risk, high-reward bet."
The question that remains is whether Fields will be able to unseat veteran Russell Wilson, who has been designated as the team's starting quarterback after his acquisition through free agency. Whether he is able to do so or not, one cannot deny the potential of him becoming the team's franchise quarterback in the near future.
The Bears selected Fields with the 11th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Fields completed 578 passes for 6,674 passing yards with 40 passing touchdowns in 40 career games. He also gained 2,220 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns on 356 carries. In 2022, Fields became the third quarterback in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season.