Analyst contends Justin Fields trade was made to avoid clashing egos with star prospect set to arrive in 2024 NFL Draft
Justin Fields will still face the elements in the latter half of the 2024 regular season, but he will do so in a different uniform. With the quarterback out the door in Chicago, some fans are demanding to know why the Bears moved on from Fields. Speaking on "Get Up" on Tuesday, NFL analyst Ryan Clark argued that the team moved on merely to avoid any conflict in 2024.
Had Fields stuck around, it would have created a potential power struggle between the former face of the franchise and the next big prospect. In other words, Fields would not have sat idly by as someone else took his job.
Ryan Clark: "[00:02:06] Presumably, the Chicago Bears traded Justin Fields so they wouldn't have a room with some discord if they drafted a young rookie quarterback at number one. [00:02:21]" [14.7] Get up
Justin Fields-less Bears left with more franchise-defining moves to make
Many, of course, assume the newly Justin Fields-less Bears will pull the trigger on Caleb Williams. Analysts have an amazing track record in being correct with the first pick of the NFL Draft. Most name the player chosen weeks in advance or at least list name them with a handful of other prospects.
Trevor Lawrence and Kyler Murray are two recent examples in which the vast majority of fans, analysts and pundits predicted them to go first overall. Murray and Lawrence did eventually get picked first overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Arizona Cardinals, respectively.
As such, the odds are remarkably high that a quarterback once again will be the first overall selection, especially by the Chicago Bears, who now desperately need a quarterback. After trading Fields, the team has Tyson Bagent and Brett Rypien as the only two quarterbacks on the roster.
Of course, the other question for the team is how they choose to set up their Justin Fields successor. Will it be a situation in which they throw someone into the fire immediately in their rookie season? Or will they elect to get one of the few remaining free agents on the market to buy some time for the rookie?
At this point, many paths lie ahead for the Chicago Bears at quarterback with the slate wiped clean and the No. 1 pick in their clutches. Their choices over the next month could set up potentially the next 20 years. Will they be the correct ones?
If any of the above quotes are used, credit "Get Up" and H/T Sportskeeda.