Justin Fields is getting a new start after a treacherous three seasons in Chicago.
The Bears, the owners of the No. 1 pick and rights to Caleb Williams, traded Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers last week in exchange for a 2025 pick that could change its value based on playing time.
However, the Steelers had already signed nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson to a one-year deal earlier in the week, leading to some confusion. Reports say Pittsburgh is set on Wilson starting and Fields backing him up, but a former NFL quarterback begs to differ.
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Bears quarterback Justin Fields warms up before the Minnesota Vikings game, Oct. 15, 2023, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Tim Hasselbeck, now an ESPN analyst, not only predicted that Fields would start by Week 10 – he says there is a chance he could even win the job in training camp.
“Justin Fields is the starter for Pittsburgh by Week 10. I think to be really bold, Week 5, but I think it eventually happens,” he said on Tuesday’s edition of “Get Up.”
“Or Week 1, for that matter, to go real bold, which maybe isn’t even that out of the realm of possibilities.”
Hasselbeck has long been a huge fan of Fields, and even despite a 10-28 record as the Bears starter, “nothing I’ve seen from him in the National Football League” has strayed him from thinking Fields has all-time talent.
Justin Fields of the Chicago Bears runs with the ball against the Washington Commanders at FedExField on Oct. 5, 2023, in Landover, Maryland. (Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
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“I think he has Cam Newton-like qualities. Cam Newton was a league MVP, in large part because he was a remarkable runner of the football, and that, in turn, helped him develop as a passer,” Hasselbeck said. “There was a stretch where Cam was the best goal-line back in the National Football League. I think in terms of the fit with the personnel that’s there, and then what Arthur Smith wants to do, I think it may be the best spot for Justin Fields to go…
“If you’re not winning, there is going to be pressure to change at that position when you have a super-talented, young player waiting in the wings.”
Justin Fields waves to fans after the Bears’ 37-17 win against the Atlanta Falcons at Soldier Field on Dec. 31, 2023, in Chicago. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
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Currently, the Bears are getting back a 2025 sixth-rounder from the deal, but that will change to a fourth if Fields plays 51% of the snaps in this upcoming season.
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