The Bears traded Fields to Pittsburgh in exchange for a conditional sixth-round pick, a far cry from what most expected Chicago to recoup in trading its former first-round pick. With few obvious landing spots open, however, the Bears had little choice unless they were willing to hang onto Fields into the draft and perhaps beyond.
Poles noted there was a “lot to unpack” with why Fields didn’t work out in Chicago, noting the constant change the quarterback had to deal with in his three seasons.
“There was a choppy start in his rookie year,” he said. “And when I came in, we had some cleaning up to do, which delayed another year of adding talent and supporting. And then in terms of the game, I feel like he was making strides and improving. … It’s really the timeline and how much runway you have. Because to get a guy up off the ground, you need to support him with as much talent as possible. And then that flips because it takes so much cap space.”
The trade opens the door for Chicago to draft a QB No. 1 overall, presumably USC’s Caleb Williams. Poles told reporters that Williams will visit Halas Hall during the first week of April.
Poles noted his first impression of Williams was how much his teammates battle for the QB.
“They don’t like him,” he said, via Adam Hoge of CHGO Bears, “they love him.”
Daniel Miller is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. His coverage spans from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis for sports enthusiasts.
