Justin Fields appreciates Bears GM Ryan Poles doing right by him.
This offseason, the Chicago Bears decided to split ways with quarterback Justin Fields in favor of first-round choice Caleb Williams.
Throughout the process, general manager Ryan Poles made it clear that he wanted to do the right thing for Fields. That includes trading Fields to his chosen destination, the Pittsburgh Steelers, despite only receiving a conditional sixth-round pick in return.
“Shoutout to Poles,” Fields stated Tuesday in his first public statement since the deal. “We communicated to him through my agent, and I told him where I wanted to be and this was a place I wanted to be, so he honored that and I appreciate him for that and glad he was able to put me in a spot where I wanted to be at.”
Fields, who was selected 11th overall in the 2021 NFL selection, captivated fans throughout his three seasons. Even if he wasn’t always in the best of situations, whether it was a change in coaches and offensive coordinators or a lack of supporting players. But, in the end, he didn’t make enough progress in 2023 to convince Poles to pass up Williams this year.
While Fields’ time in Chicago did not go as planned, he values the experience.
“There was a lot of ups and downs, but I appreciate every relationship that I’ve built,” Fields stated. “My teammates are aware of this. Nothing but love for the city, its people, and my former colleagues and coaches.”
Fields now has the opportunity for a fresh start with the team of his choice. However, he enters the 2024 season as the backup quarterback to Russell Wilson, with whom he will compete for the starting job. Fields feels that the best is yet to come.
“I’m not the same quarterback as I was last year,” Fields stated. “I’ll continue to improve with the support of the coaching staff and Russell. … They are making me better every day.
“I still have a lot of room to grow. I’m definitely not near my ceiling.”
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