5 Teams That Could Trade For Justin Fields
The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the New York Giants on Monday night, moving to 6-2 on the year and putting them squarely in first place of the AFC North.
Russell Wilson, the veteran QB who most of the media proclaimed was done, has lifted the Steelers offense to greater heights in his first two starts. Head coach Mike Tomlin made waves across the league when he announced his decision to bench Justin Fields (who had the Steelers at 4-2 despite averaging less than 200 passing yards per game) in favor of the soon-to-be 36-year-old.
Instead of the offense faltering, as many predicted it would, Wilson is averaging 271 passing yards per game - which is currently third in the league behind only Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield - and a passer rating of 111.9 - which is, again, third in the league behind only Lamar Jackson and Jared Goff.
The decision to roll with Wilson has paid dividends for Pittsburgh, but has also left Fields out in the cold. In fact, Tomlin placed Justin Fields on the inactive list for the team's Monday night matchup, opting to have Kyle Allen back up Wilson, with Fields as the emergency QB3.
It was revealed on Sunday that Fields "tweaked his hamstring," according to Tomlin, and that he would be inactive for that reason. Fields was a full participant in practice, however, for the full week leading up to Pittsburgh's Week 8 game. The hamstring injury was unspecified, with fans wondering when and how Fields had tweaked it. The benching of Fields has now convinced some that the Steelers could be looking to move on from him before next week.
With the November 5 trade deadline rapidly approaching, the notion that the Steelers could trade Fields - for whom they gave up a conditional sixth-round pick to acquire in the offseason - cannot be dismissed. With only one year left on his current contract, a trade for Fields could be a cheap, low-risk, high-reward move for a QB-needy team.
Who Could Make a Move For Fields?
There are quite a few teams around the league with question marks at the QB position. Whether those questions are about a team's current situation or future after this season, one thing is certain: Justin Fields has earned the right to start somewhere, and could be the answer for one of these teams.
Here are five teams that could give the Steelers a call about Fields.
Tennessee Titans
The Titans are a complete mess. QB Will Levis is not what new head coach Brian Callahan hoped he would be, and the team just traded wide receiver Deandre Hopkins away to the Kansas City Chiefs. A shoulder injury has sidelined Levis for their last two games, and backup QB Mason Rudolph has performed about as poorly as Levis has.
Callahan is looking to create a new culture in Tennessee - one that most likely doesn't involve either of the aforementioned QBs. The Titans currently sit at 1-6, and would have the second overall pick of the 2025 draft if the season ended today. If the Titans don't feel comfortable with drafting a QB that high, they could look to trade down to recoup more picks and aid a much-needed rebuild.
If that comes to pass, there's no way Callahan will roll with Levis and Rudolph in 2025. The team could instead look to trade for Fields to see if he could be a viable option for the future of this franchise.
Las Vegas Raiders
In similar fashion to the Titans, the Raiders have a conundrum at QB. The team chose to roll into 2024 with Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell battling it out for the starting job. Minshew won - then was benched for O'Connell. Now that O'Connell is on injured reserve with a broken thumb, Minshew has once again been thrust into the starting role.
The team signed former Atlanta Falcons' QB Desmond Ridder off the Arizona Cardinals' practice squad to give them another option, but the Raiders are in desperate need of a long-term fix at QB.
They currently sit at 2-6, and coach Antonio Pierce has been very clear on his feelings regarding his team's toughness (or lack thereof). After a loss to the lowly Carolina Panthers in Week 3, Pierce called out his team for making "business decisions" and added that he would be making some business decisions of his own. Could one of those decisions be a trade for a potential franchise QB?
New York Jets
To say that Aaron Rodgers and the Jets have disappointed this season would be underselling it. It seems that each week, a new drama-filled story about the team floods the local headlines. Whether it's the firing of a coach, the handling of a player, or another trade for someone Rodgers demands, the Jets have been finding new ways to embarrass themselves this season.
There has also been no succession plan at QB since the team's trade for Rodgers prior to the 2023 season. New York went "all-in," hiring coaches and signing or trading for players that Rodgers wanted. The results have been messy, and the Jets now sit at 2-6 after their most recent loss to the New England Patriots.
Another rebuild could be on the horizon for the Jets (at least on the offensive side of the ball) after this season. They may not be in position to land one of the top QBs in the upcoming draft, so a trade for Fields may make the most sense.
Los Angeles Rams
The Rams may have saved their season last Thursday with a huge win over the Minnesota Vikings, moving them to 3-4 on the year and keeping them in step with a surprisingly competitive NFC West division.
Similar to the Jets, however, there seems to be a lack of planning as far as what coach Sean McVay and the Rams want to do at the future of the QB position. Matthew Stafford is still playing well, but will be 37 in February. He's currently under contract through 2026, and his cap hits of $53.6 million for each of the next two years make a trade or release practically impossible.
A trade for Fields could be a solid succession plan for LA. Fields would have an opportunity to compete with one of the best QBs in recent memory for the starting job, and would have the benefit of learning from Stafford as well. Under the tutelage of Stafford and McVay, Fields could blossom into an incredible QB.
Carolina Panthers
What can be said about the Panthers that has yet to be said? The team has been a mess for years, and once again own the worst record in the league (1-7) entering Week 9.
The QB position has famously been one that Carolina can't seem to figure out. The haul that they traded to the Chicago Bears for the first overall pick in 2023, which became Bryce Young, looks worse with each passing day. Veteran Andy Dalton's magic quickly ran out after coming out of the gate strong. The Panthers are now at a crossroads, and new head coach Dave Canales must figure out which QB to roll with the rest of the way in 2024 (after Dalton returns from injury, that is.)
The coaching staff seems ready to give up on Young, and Dalton - who will be 38 next year - is set to be a free agent at season's end. If Carolina isn't sold on a QB in the upcoming draft, a trade for Fields (along with trading down from the top pick that they're projected to get) could be the next move in their seemingly endless search for a QB.
Will The Steelers Move On From Fields?
Mike Tomlin reportedly liked the idea of having a "two-headed quarterback," but with the emergence of Russell Wilson, having Justin Fields on the same roster has become a luxury for the Steelers that could net them some trade compensation before the deadline.
Pittsburgh has famously been enamored with attempting trades for a wide receiver. If the Steelers' front office believes they could land one before the deadline, expect them to pull the trigger - even if it involves moving Fields.
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