A new team has emerged as the favorite to land Justin Fields this offseason.
Fields had some social media activity this week that led to a new wave of speculation about his future. Fans noticed that the quarterback no longer follows the Chicago Bears on Instagram. Not only that, but Fields recently began following Atlanta Falcons players Kyle Pitts, Drake London and Bijan Robinson.
Oddsmakers and bettors do not think all of that is a coincidence. At the start of the day on Tuesday, the Pittsburgh Steelers were the favorite to acquire Fields. As of Wednesday morning, the Falcons had become the favorites at -130, meaning you would have to bet $130 to win $100. Pittsburgh moved into a distant second with +350 odds.
The gambling markets have reacted strongly to Justin Fields’ social media activity pic.twitter.com/WpkIJM5SeA
— Steve DelVecchio (@SteveDelSports) February 21, 2024
The odds are constantly shifting and reacting to rumors, so that could certainly happen again. The Steelers became the favorite to land Fields after a prominent NFL insider said Mike Tomlin is a big fan of the former Ohio State star. If another rumor or report pops up, the odds will change again.
While it is not a given that the Bears will trade Fields, there is a growing sense that they want to draft Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick. They could also get a massive haul if they choose to trade back, in which case they would be more likely to keep Fields.
The Falcons have a new head coach in Raheem Morris, and they may want to start fresh at the quarterback position as well. Neither Desmond Ridder nor Taylor Heinicke looked like the answer for Atlanta last season. Fields would represent an upgrade, so the Falcons are among the teams that could pursue him.
