The future of Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields is one of the most intriguing questions of the upcoming NFL offseason. Fields is currently under contract through the next season, with a fifth-year option for 2025, but the Bears hold the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft, which gives them the opportunity to select top quarterback prospect Caleb Williams from USC. If the Bears choose to draft Williams, it will likely mean that Fields will be traded.
The Atlanta Falcons have emerged as a potential landing spot for Fields in a trade, and Fields himself seems open to the idea. Speaking on The 33rd Team podcast, Fields expressed interest in the possibility of playing for his hometown team, although he did mention one potential downside.
“Atlanta would be tough,” Fields said. “The only con of going back home is just people hitting up my phone like crazy, wanting tickets to the game. But I think they’ve got a lot of playmakers on the team.”
The Falcons, who recently hired Raheem Morris as their new head coach, have not made the playoffs since 2017. They have offensive talent in running back Bijan Robinson, receiver Drake London, and tight end Kyle Pitts, but their quarterbacks Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke struggled in 2023, and the team finished with a 7-10 record for the third straight season.
“They probably need one more receiver, but they definitely have some guys over there,” Fields said. “Their defense was good last year too.”
Despite his openness to the idea of playing for the Falcons, Fields has a preference for how the offseason plays out. He recently unfollowed the Bears’ official Instagram account, but he expressed a desire to continue his career in Chicago.
“Yeah, of course I want to stay,” Fields said. “I can’t see myself playing in another place. But I know how the league is. If it was up to me, I would stay in Chicago. I love the city, the fans there are great, as are the people. It’s a business; I don’t have any control over it. Whatever happens, happens.”
Fields, like Bears fans and the rest of the NFL world, is eagerly awaiting a decision on his future.
“I feel like the biggest thing with all this going on right now—I just want it to be over,” he said. “Just let me know if I’m getting traded. Let me know if I’m staying.”
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