The Chicago Bears have ushered in a new era with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, who was selected with the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. But with going all in on with Williams, the team decided to move on from Justin Fields in the process.
While it didn’t work out for Fields in Chicago, things aren’t all bad for the former first-round pick. General manager Ryan Poles worked with Fields to move him to a team he wanted to go to: the Pittsburgh Steelers.
A fresh start is exactly what Fields needs, and it seems like he’s found that in Pittsburgh, which presents an entirely different culture than he was used to with the Bears.
“Me being in two different places now, I realize you don’t get this culture everywhere,” Fields said last week. “I think Chicago, they’re kind of changing the narrative now, but this has been the culture here for so many years. You can see it, just the way that we attack each and every day. Coach [Mike Tomlin], he stays on us about it, so I think just having that, reiterating that each and every day, that keeps guys on their toes. Guys are ready to compete each and every day.”
While Chicago looks to be turning things around, that hasn’t always been the case. Fields didn’t come into the best situation when he was drafted by the Bears in 2021. After playing under Matt Nagy for one season, the team brought in a new head coach in Matt Eberflus and a general manager in Ryan Poles, who rebuilt everything from the bottom up.
During Fields’ three seasons in Chicago, the Bears went 16-35 and failed to produce a winning record. Meanwhile, the Steelers haven’t had a losing record in two decades.
Fields didn’t have a good supporting cast in Chicago, and, ultimately, he didn’t prove enough for the team to pass on a potential generational talent in Williams.
It’s no secret the Bears haven’t exactly had a winning culture over the past few decades, but the hope is that’ll finally start changing.