Justin Fields Could Be On Minnesota Vikings’ Radar

While it’s taking a while for the Chicago Bears to find a trade partner, fans in the Windy City can’t move on from Justin Fields quickly enough. They’re eager to see if Caleb Williams can lead a sharp turnaround for a franchise that’s greatly struggled to find a franchise QB.

As for Fields, he’s just three years removed from being the 11th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Yet, now the Bears are ready to move on from the 24-year-old after being displeased with his development as a passer. However, this decision has just as much to do with his inability to be a consistent passer as it does with the Bears being in position to draft a potential franchise savior.

Justin Fields on Minnesota Vikings radar?

Though he’s struggled as a passer, Fields does still have value. He’s already proven to be a playmaker with his legs, and teams will be more than willing to see if they can develop the former five-star recruit better than the Bears have. In fact, your own Minnesota Vikings might even have interest, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

“The major quarterback domino that many are waiting to fall is Chicago’s Justin Fields decision. Chicago has not played its hand, and several league sources believe Fields — who has not requested a trade — could probably garner a Day 2 pick in a potential deal. There’s no firm deadline on a trade, though the start of free agency is sort of a soft one. Chicago will need multiple teams in the fray to drive a market, and after asking around, I expect Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Las Vegas and Minnesota to be on Fields’ radar.

There’s plenty of smoke around Atlanta and Fields. Some around the league are wondering about the fit, thinking a Rams-influence offense under new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson could target a Cousins-style quarterback, while others say Fields’ immense talent will be maximized in that scheme. As one league source put it, Atlanta has done enough work on Fields, Cousins and Baker Mayfield that the chances of coming away with one of them are fairly good.”

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler linking Minnesota Vikings to Justin Fields

Related: ESPN Insiders: Vikings Want a Hometown Discount and Kirk Cousins Doesn’t Seem Interested

Justin Fields Would Be An Upgrade Over Josh Dobbs

While an inner-division trade would be odd, it’s not unprecedented. Those who follow the NFL Draft closely can remind you of when Kwesi Adofo-Mensah worked out a draft-day trade with the Detroit Lions in one of his first moves on the job in 2022.

Yet, adding the Bears’ former quarterback might be a bit more unlikely, unless, Chicago truly feels like there’s no chance Fields turns into a star, then negotiations could be fair game.

Last year we saw that the Vikings, namely Kevin O’Connell, is open to the idea of having a dual-threat QB with the addition of Josh Dobbs. The ‘Passtronaut’ had a long leash, starting four games before relinquishing duties to Nick Mullens later on.

If the Vikings feel Fields has a higher ceiling than Dobbs, and he definitely does, then a trade may not be out of the question if Chicago is open to dealing with a division rival. Otherwise, they should have plenty of other options.

Related: 3 Running Backs the Vikings Should Target After Releasing Alexander Mattison