Former NFL cornerback and current ESPN analyst Domonique Foxworth explained during Thursday’s edition of the “Get Up” program why the market for Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields reportedly is not “quite as robust” as originally thought.
“One of the things that you need to address is his desire to hold onto the ball for a long time,” Foxworth said about Fields. “You would have thought that being behind a not-good offensive line for an extended period of time, he would have developed and fixed that particular habit. But that’s the one that’s hard to get over. And I think that it’s kind of a microcosm for what you’re getting when you get him. He’s a boom-or-bust player.”
According to StatMuse, only Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens (2,352) has rushed for more regular-season yards than Fields (2,220) since the start of the 2021 campaign.
However, ESPN stats show that Fields ended this past regular season ranked 23rd in the NFL among qualified players with a 46.1 adjusted QBR. Across 13 games, he tossed 16 touchdown passes and nine interceptions.
It’s hardly a secret the Bears will likely make USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams the first pick of the 2024 NFL Draft this spring.
That reality coupled with the fact that Fields’ employer must exercise or decline his option worth around $25.7M for the 2025 season by the May 2 deadline could be stopping teams such as the Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Las Vegas Raiders and Minnesota Vikings from pulling the trigger on a trade with Chicago ahead of free agency.
The legal tampering period of the free-agency process begins this coming Monday.
“If you want to get kind of a prospect that has a high upside but also kind of has a low floor, you want to get him on a rookie deal in the draft,” Foxworth added about Fields. “You don’t want to get him a couple of years away from a big-time extension. So, I would be trepidatious on Justin Fields, too, until (quarterbacks reaching free agency) have found their landing spots.”
There continue to be whispers hinting that the Cleveland Browns could eventually take a flier on Fields to have him serve as a backup behind starter Deshaun Watson.
Foxworth suggested Cleveland may be able to get Fields from Chicago for as low as a third-round draft pick.
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