Justin Fields did not generate a ton of trade interest before he landed with the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason, but the quarterback says a few other notable AFC teams contacted the Chicago Bears about him.
Fields discussed how he landed with the Steelers during the latest episode of teammate Cam Heyward’s “Not Just Football” podcast, which was released on Thursday. The former first-round pick said he was told that three other teams besides Pittsburgh showed interest in him. He believes those teams were the Baltimore Ravens, Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders.
“I’m not sure of all the teams, but you know, there were a lot of teams that had already had solidified quarterbacks there,” Fields said, as transcribed by Josh Carney of Steelers Depot. “And I didn’t wanna be (a backup). I think the Chargers was one, the Ravens was another.
“Raiders, they talked a little bit. I don’t know too much. But a lot of the teams, they already had solidified quarterbacks, and they just got new contracts, so I wasn’t really trying to be there, because I kind of know how that shakes out.”
The Bears obviously worked with Fields to send him to his preferred team, and it looks like the former Ohio State star made the right call. Fields would have had no chance to start in Baltimore unless Lamar Jackson got injured or Los Angeles unless Justin Herbert went down. It is possible that he would have been given an opportunity to compete for a starting job with the Raiders, who may have a QB controversy brewing ahead of Week 4.
Fields was beat out by Russell Wilson during the offseason, but he probably liked his chances of being able to supplant the nine-time Pro Bowl veteran eventually.
With Wilson still nursing a calf injury, Fields has the Steelers off to a 3-0 start. Head coach Mike Tomlin had a blunt response when asked about the QB situation in Pittsburgh this week.
