INDIANAPOLIS -- Perhaps nobody will be busier at this week's NFL Combine here in Indianapolis than Ryan Poles.
The general manager of the Bears enters this week with a franchise-altering decision to make. The Bears hold the No. 1 pick in this upcoming draft via Carolina to go along with the ninth overall pick, making for a plethora of options.
Those options include the ones surrounding Justin Fields, the 11th overall pick of the 2021 draft made by a different regime. A report from NBC Sports Monday hinted the Bears could keep Fields and trade out of the No. 1 slot, which would allow for more capital to be obtained to build around Fields.
But with Fields set to enter his fourth season and with a $25.7 million fifth-year option to decide on, the common speculation is the Bears could seek a trade partner for the 24-year old and select one of Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, or Jayden Daniels in this upcoming draft.
That is where the Steelers come into play. Rumblings have come forward of the Steelers being a potential suitor for him, given Mike Tomlin's reported fandom of him dating to that 2021 draft coupled with the team's desire to jump-start 2022 first-rounder Kenny Pickett with competition. According to odds from DraftKings, the Falcons are the current favorites to land Fields, while the Bears have the second-highest odds. The Steelers hold their third-highest odds at being Fields' next team at plus-300.
So, there is certainly smoke emanating from the NFL rumor mill with a linking of Fields to the Steelers. This talk won't subside until the Bears make a move one way or another -- which could come in the form of a trade of Fields directly or out of the No. 1 pick slot, or by picking up Fields' fifth-year option by the May 2 deadline.
Just as there is with any move made by any NFL team, there are pros and cons, the cases for and cases against, and the shoulds and should-nots. This case is no different, as the Steelers enter this week after Tomlin and Art Rooney II already have publicly voiced their desires to retain free-agent-to-be Mason Rudolph as the one to compete with Pickett in training camp.
Just as the Steelers are weighing those out, so are Poles and the Bears. That front office has diligence to do, too, which includes what other teams might feel out with respect to their quarterback positions. Via reporting from NFL Network, Williams and Daniels will not throw at this week's Combine, which turns focus to the respective 2022 and 2023 Heisman Trophy winners' visits with Poles and the Bears' brass in Indianapolis. Those also have some weight to this process of what to do with Fields, though what Fields has already done in his three NFL seasons likely outweigh those getting-to-know-you phases from Williams and Daniels.
I have my questions about this Fields-to-the-Steelers hypothetical:
• The Steelers are intent on re-signing Rudolph. Does that attract or detract the Steelers as a suitor in the Fields sweepstakes?
• If Rudolph doesn't re-sign, does that necessarily make the Steelers more prone to make a trade for Fields or any other quarterback that is on the market?
• What is the price for Fields? Not the Bears' asking price. The final price.
• Would the Steelers have to fork over this year's second-round pick and more?
• Would Chicago want a first-round pick or a swap of other picks involved?
And, the ultimate question from the Steelers' perspective:
• Is Fields, truly, an upgrade over Pickett and/or Rudolph?
Fields is 10-28 as a starter and has thrown for a 40-to-30 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He has been turnover prone in the running game, as well, as he has fumbled the ball 38 times and lost 11. In 2023, he fumbled 10 times and lost four of them.
Pickett has not been as advertised as a first-round pick, though the handicapping employed by Matt Canada's employment surely is a factor. It can be argued that Pickett regressed in 2023 after putting together a somewhat-promising finish to 2022 and setting the 2023 preseason ablaze. That regression, coupled with an ankle injury, led to Rudolph's explosion in the final three games of the season en route to being a major reason why the Steelers qualified for the postseason.
For an offense that is about to undergo a massive change with the implementation of coordinator Arthur Smith, asking Pickett to figure everything out in short order is a large ask. Asking Rudolph to continue his ascent from longtime backup to QB1 prospect -- while learning a new offense -- would be its own challenge.
But, also, asking Fields to turn all of his shortcomings around on a whim is a hard one for the Steelers, especially when the offensive line is in need of two additional pieces and the wide receivers room needs to be added to. If a 2023 pick is traded, they won't be able to address one of those holes in the early stages of the draft, leaving Fields with one fewer weapon to block for him or for him to throw to.
And, the Steelers would be tasked with deciding on picking up Fields' fifth-year option by that May 2 deadline.
One thing that's certain: That's not the Bears' problem, if they choose.
