One week after Justin Fields was drafted by the Chicago Bears, fans are still pinching themselves that their quarterback-stricken franchise was able to land a star quarterback — a move that could change everything for this team moving forward.
But things could’ve been a lot different had Chicago’s division rivals the Minnesota Vikings had anything to say about it.
As the Bears watched Fields slip further down the board and closer to a prime trading spot with the New York Giants, the Vikings were also paying attention to Fields’ slide.
Vikings GM Rick Spielman told reporters that they were trying to trade up from their position at 14th overall. According to ESPN Vikings reporter Courtney Cronin, Minnesota was preparing to draft Fields if he fell to them. They were trying to see where they might have to move up in order to draft Fields.
Fields was, as Cronin said, “their guy.”
Luckily for Bears fans, GM Ryan Pace was able to make a deal with the Giants, dealing their No. 20 pick and No. 164 pick this year and their 2022 first- and fourth-round picks to move up nine spots to draft Fields.
The rest, as we’ll soon see, is history.
How great would it be for the Bears to finally land their franchise quarterback in Fields and to have snatched him before their division rivals got the chance? That, coupled with the Aaron Rodgers drama in Green Bay, is just icing on the cake.
