After Minnesota’s Big Trade, a Vikings Rival Has Made Its Own Move
Josh Frey
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On Friday, the Minnesota Vikings swung a significant trade to grab the No. 23 overall pick from the Houston Texans.
This weekend apparently is a big one for moves in the NFC North because just a little over a day after the Vikings made their trade, a Vikings rival has made a move of its own as the Chicago Bears are trading QB Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Vikings Rival Trades Starting QB
The news was reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN, who tweeted, “Bears are trading Justin Fields for a 2025 6th-round pick that goes to a 4th-round pick based on playtime, per sources.”
Of course, Fields was selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Bears, and Chicago actually traded up to select him out of Ohio State. In exchange for the 11th overall pick to select Fields, the Bears gave the New York Giants Nos. 20 and 164 of the 2021 draft as well as a 2022 first-rounder and a 2022 fourth-rounder.
In total, Fields played 40 games for the Bears, including 38 starts, and he completed 60.3% of his passes for 6674 yards, 40 touchdowns, and 30 interceptions. Of course, the athletic QB is most known for his mobility, and he added 356 carries for 2220 yards and an addition 14 TDs on the ground. During his 38 starts, the Bears had a combined record of 10-28.
This is an interesting trade for Pittsburgh for a couple reasons. Not only did they sign Russell Wilson earlier this week, but they also made a trade to get rid of Kenny Pickett, who they selected in the first round of the 2022 draft, just one day ago.
Russell Wilson will more than likely be the starter in Pittsburgh this season, but now, Fields will be the insurance option rather than Pickett. It should also be noted that the Steelers received a third-round pick from the Eagles for Pickett and their fourth-round pick while only paying a future sixth-rounder for Fields. Solid value for the team as they attempt to resurrect Fields’ career.
As for the Bears, this seems like the move to confirm that they will indeed draft a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick. Caleb Williams has been the consensus top QB throughout the process, and he is the favorite to be selected by Chicago. It also takes away the chance (as small as it was) that the Vikings could swing a trade to move to the top of the draft board to take their choice of this year’s QB prospects.
Regardless, change continues to be a theme for the NFC North. Not only is Kirk Cousins out of Minnesota, but now, Fields is playing elsewhere and the Bears will have their own brand new QB1 this fall.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Reference.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.