After being traded by the Chicago Bears during the offseason, quarterback Justin Fields has found early success with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Though his stats aren’t eye-popping, Fields has effectively complemented the Steelers’ elite defense by managing the game well and avoiding turnovers.
As a result, Pittsburgh sits at 3-1 after four games. With Russell Wilson, the preseason starter, sidelined by a calf injury, it appears he may have to wait for Fields to falter before regaining his spot.
Fields, after a slow start, had his best game of the season in Week 4, completing 22 of 34 passes for 312 yards, adding 55 rushing yards and three total touchdowns. Despite his efforts, the Steelers came up short in a 27-24 loss.
With four games in the books, Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons weighed in, suggesting the Bears made a mistake by trading Fields.
“I think Justin’s won over the team,” Parsons said. “Justin is really, really good. … I’m glad the Steelers and Mike Tomlin have rebuilt his confidence because the Bears probably took that from him. They kind of said, ‘We don’t need you anymore, you’re less valuable,’ and shipped him off. I thought they should’ve kept him because Justin’s a legit talent, and now he’s thriving elsewhere.”
The Bears, however, opted to use the No. 1 overall pick to draft Caleb Williams, aiming to make him their franchise quarterback—a decision that, at the time, made sense for several reasons.
While Fields showed promise during his time in Chicago, he never solidified himself as their long-term answer. Drafting Williams also allowed the Bears to bring in a highly-touted prospect on a rookie contract, freeing up resources that would have otherwise gone toward a Fields extension.
It’s still too soon to definitively say whether Chicago made the right call, as both Williams and Fields are early in their respective tenures. But given the circumstances, the Bears’ decision to move on from Fields seemed justified at the time.
