What the Washington Commanders do with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft is a mystery. The team has many options and can go in many directions. And that decision will likely remain a mystery for as long as the Chicago Bears, holders of the top pick, have quarterback Justin Fields on their roster.
The most likely situation is the Bears look to trade Fields, who just finished his third season in the league, and select USC quarterback Caleb Williams.
Now, is there any appetite in Washington for the Commanders to be the destination for the former first-round draft pick of Chicago?
"I've always thought Justin Fields has a big upside and I think we've seen glimpses of that, with by the way, not much around him [in Chicago]," Kevin Sheehan said on Tuesday.
Last season, the recently turned 25-year-old passer completed 227 of 370 attempts (61.4 percent) for 2,562 yards (6.9 yards per attempt) with 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 13 starts. In 2023, he posted a career-high 86.3 passer rating, but a 46.1 QBR (which was down from 56.3 in 2022). Fields also ran for 657 yards on 124 carries (5.3 yards per rush) with four touchdowns.
Off the field, Sheehan notes that Fields has handled himself very well and is very well thought of by Bears fans, even as criticism of his play and questions about his durability (he's made just 38 starts in three seasons) has mounted. And this offseason, as the conversation about his future has intensified, Fields has remained a solid professional.
"He has handled everything that has come his way with the utmost of class. He talks team-first all the time," Sheehan continued. "Every story you read about Justin Fields, people love Justin Fields. He is super high character, he is always super popular among the people that he is in the building with. And that part you check the box on. You know you are getting a guy that you can build around and he can be that leader, that franchise face that you want."
The issue is not that, the issue is "Is he good enough?" Sheehan said, adding "I don't know if he's been given a chance to be good enough yet."
In his career with the Bears, from a QBR standpoint and passer rating standpoint he has been average, Sheehan continued: "He's taken a ton of sacks, his completion percentage has been average for this day in age... he's yet to play a full season due to injuries."
Would Sheehan take him in Washington: "I would only consider Fields if I was unconvinced about the quarterbacks in the draft."
Listen to the full segment from the Kevin Sheehan Show - including if he would take Fields for a third-round draft pick – on the audio player above!