Chicago Bears trade QB Justin Fields to Pittsburgh Steelers

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The Chicago Bears have traded quarterback Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team and Fields announced Saturday.

The Steelers sent a 2025 sixth-round pick that converts to a fourth-round pick if Fields plays 51% of snaps this season, a source confirmed to ESPN.

Fields thanked the Bears and the city of Chicago in a social media post Saturday.

It was quite a day for the trade to happen, as most people in the city were in the midst of S.t Patrick's day celebrations when Justin Fields was sent to Pittsburgh.

That timing made for some interesting reactions, as many fans were relieved that the debate is finally over after several months of arguing about what to do at that quarterback position.

Two weeks ago at the NFL combine, Bears general manager Ryan Poles addressed the idea of a Fields trade publicly for the first time. Poles said he aimed to not leave the quarterback in limbo and hoped to "do right" by Fields as Chicago determined its quarterback plan for the future.

"No one wants to live in grey, I know that's uncomfortable," Poles said on Feb 27. "I wouldn't want to be in that situation either. So, we will gather the information, we will move as quickly as possible, we are not going to be in a rush and see what presents itself and what's best for the organization."

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The Bears posted a statement from Poles on social media Saturday.

Fields, who completed his third season with Chicago in 2023, will join a quarterback room with Russell Wilson, who signed a one-year deal with the Steelers on Friday.

Fields is not expected to compete with Wilson for the starting job, a team source told ESPN's Brooke Pryor. Instead, Fields is expected to learn from the Super Bowl winner and nine-time Pro Bowler in Pittsburgh.

It was a bittersweet moment for many Bears fans across Chicago.

The quarterback was drafted in 2021 and hailed as a savior for the Bears franchise, but he has now been added to a long list of quarterbacks that did not work out in Chicago.

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Some Chicago sports fans took in the news Saturday night before watching the Bulls game at the United Center.

"I feel like we traded him for nothing at all," Bears fan Perry Reed said. 'We got a sixth-round draft pick... like that's insane."

Fans now have their eyes set on a new quarterback, possibly Caleb Williams, expected to be taken with the Bears' number one pick in April's NFL Draft.

"Exciting... you have to pray for the best," Bears fan Nathan Shuerp said. "But you never know what you're gonna get with draft picks."

Some fans said the hardest part about the trade is how much they liked Fields as a person and leader of the franchise, despite the ups and downs on the field.

"He's a great guy... he's a good person," Bears fan Erik Arteaga said. "The locker room loves him, but sometimes, like life, it doesn't always work out."

After months of the quarterback conversation dividing the fan base, people are ready to get on the same page, hoping for winning football in Chicago.

"He did what he could with what he had, and hopefully he does well in Pittsburgh, but I think it's a new time in Chicago," Bears fan Kyle Schuster said.

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Fields' career with the Bears ends after 38 starts where he completed 60.3% of his passes for 6,674 yards, 40 touchdowns and 30 interceptions. As the Bears move forward in search of their next quarterback, the process for evaluating draft-eligible quarterbacks is the same as last year, according to Bears coach Matt Eberflus, despite the depth and talent of the 2024 quarterback class and Chicago's new offensive staff.

At the combine, Eberflus said the Bears will weigh a quarterback's situational awareness and execution heavily as they evaluate and ultimately decide who will be under center in 2024.

"I look at the guys that can operate third down, two-minute and the end of the game situations," Eberflus said. "To me that's a separator. And then you look at toughness. Toughness for a quarterback really is about the mental toughness to be able to stand in the pocket and deliver the ball, and also to have the discernment to be able to move out of the pocket and create when it's necessary. They come in all different shapes and sizes. It's always been fun to evaluate those."

ESPN's Brooke Pryor contributed to this report.