The Atlanta Falcons are looking for their quarterback of the future as the Raheem Morris era gets under way. They have several options at their fingertips, whether they draft one, trade for one, or chase one in free agency.
Yet one name seems to stand alone -- Justin Fields from the Chicago Bears. The hometown kid is reportedly available assuming the Bears pursue Caleb Williams or another quarterback with their first overall pick.
To get some insight into the possibility of a deal, The Steakhouse welcomed in Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic to see what it could cost and whether it would be worth it for either franchise to pursue it.
What would it cost?
"I think the Bears would love to get a second-round pick for him, especially because they don't have one right now because they traded it away for Montez Sweat," Fishbain said. "One of the problems facing the Bears is that, yes, a lot of teams need a quarterback but there are also a lot of very good quarterbacks in this draft, too."
The best-case scenario for Chicago is multiple teams potentially having an interest in the 24-year-old quarterback and entering into a bidding war where they can simply select the highest bidder. The unfortunate reality for them is that there may simply be too many options for them to get much more than a conditional second-round pick.
Other teams rumored to have interest in Fields include the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers, but there are a plethora of franchises that could be in the market for a veteran quarterback.
Fishbain continued, "Atlanta is unique in the fact that they feel like they have the offense built and would rather plug in a veteran as opposed to where they're at in the draft taking a JJ McCarthy, for example."
Why SHOULDN'T the Falcons make the deal
"Atlanta is really fascinating to me," he said. "[The Falcons] had a golden opportunity to take the home-town kid three years ago and they passed on him for a tight end. So my question to Terry Fontenot is what has Justin Fields done in three years that makes you now want to take him?"
In his three years as a starting quarterback in Chicago, Fields has failed to eclipse the 3,000-yard plateau and has struggled with interceptions, sporting a 4:3 touchdown-to-interception ratio. His legs, meanwhile, are what make him special, having rushed for 2,220 yards and 14 touchdowns -- peaking in 2022 with 1,143 yards rushing.
"Justin Fields in the NFL has not been as good we thought Justin Fields would be when he was drafted," Fishbain said about the quarterback's lackluster performances on the field. "Now, there are a lot of reasons for that, many of which have nothing to do with Justin Fields -- look at the Bears and what they put around him and all those things."
Ultimately, there's a reason the Bears are willing to deal the former first-round pick. He hasn't been consistent enough and he hasn't won at a high level -- but maybe a change of scenery is all that's needed.
Why SHOULD the Falcons make the deal
The Atlanta Falcons have a pretty solid roster, but certainly not one without holes.
Opting to trade for Justin Fields would open up the options for the franchise at the No. 8 pick -- especially with the needs that exist for quarterbacks in the league right now. Options could include shoring up the pass rush with a selection of Dallas Turner or Laiatu Latu. They could also take a top-flight wide receiver like Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze. Or, the Falcons could lock down their secondary with a selection like Terrion Arnold.
The point is, if they find a quarterback before the draft, they could continue to solidify the rest of the roster with their sublime positioning in the upcoming NFL Draft.
The trade would also serve to galvanize a city that is eager to get back to an exciting brand of football.
"[Making this deal] would be a good way to energize this fanbase," Steak said about the potential for a deal. "New quarterback, an outside pass rusher [like Dallas Turner], and a lot of the same guys coming back. I think that's why the Falcons are in play to be having these conversations with Chicago."