If the Justin Fields trade tale had turned out differently, the NFC North Division rivalry between the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings could have added another layer of intrigue.
Chicago has been preparing to trade Fields for months after securing the first overall pick in one of the strongest quarterback draft classes in recent memory. However, Ryan Poles wanted to follow through on his promise to “do right” by Fields, which included getting him to one of his favourite destinations as soon as possible.
According to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor, Fields handed the Poles a list of four teams. One was the Pittsburgh Steelers, where the quarterback eventually landed. Another was the Vikings.
“The Steelers were one of four teams on Fields’ radar prior to the start of free agency, along with the Vikings, Raiders and Falcons, a source familiar with Fields’ thinking said,” Pryor wrote on Friday, March 29, in an email.
“The Steelers were one of four teams on Fields’ radar prior to the start of free agency, along with the Vikings, Raiders and Falcons, a source familiar with Fields’ thinking said,” Pryor wrote on Friday, March 29, in an email.
The math on a Fields deal would have been tricky for the Vikings, but the upfront cost would definitely have been less than what the franchise plans to spend on a quarterback in the upcoming NFL draft.
Minnesota would likely have had to outbid the Steelers for Fields. They could have accomplished this by offering Chicago only a fifth-round pick with conditions that increased it to a fourth-rounder. Pittsburgh gave the Bears a sixth-round pick in 2025, which may become a fourth-round pick if Fields plays 51% of the team’s offensive snaps next season.
Instead, Minnesota traded two seconds and a sixth to the Houston Texans earlier this month for the No. 23 overall pick. Most observers believe the Vikings did so to bundle that selection with their No. 11 pick in order to move up into the top five and take a prospect such as Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy.
Doing so could ultimately cost Minnesota a 2025 first-rounder as well, depending on how high the Vikings attempt to trade and what competition exists for that draft position.
Minnesota would likely have had to outbid the Steelers for Fields. They could have accomplished this by offering Chicago only a fifth-round pick with conditions that increased it to a fourth-rounder. Pittsburgh gave the Bears a sixth-round pick in 2025, which may become a fourth-round pick if Fields plays 51% of the team’s offensive snaps next season.
Instead, Minnesota traded two seconds and a sixth to the Houston Texans earlier this month for the No. 23 overall pick. Most observers believe the Vikings did so to bundle that selection with their No. 11 pick in order to move up into the top five and take a prospect such as Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy.
Vikings risk alienating Justin Jefferson by passing on a trade with the Bears for Justin Fields.
The impact of Minnesota’s quarterback intentions on the NFC North pecking order remains to be seen. As of today, Sam Darnold is Minnesota’s starting.
That does not speak well for a Vikings club that must compete with the Bears, who have already made significant moves this summer and are expected to take Caleb Williams first overall before selecting another outstanding prospect with the ninth pick. The Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers are also on the rise, having made the playoffs last season and winning three postseason games between them.
Minnesota’s play at quarterback is also risky due to its implications on the future of All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson. Jefferson is eligible for an extension, which could easily reset the market and make history as the largest wideout contract in NFL history.
Jefferson lobbied for the Vikings to draft Fields back in 2021, calling the then-Ohio State QB “dominant” during an episode of “The Herd” with Colin Cowherd.
“We have to build on for after Kirk,” Jefferson said. “Having Justin Fields brings a little more pressure to other teams by having a dominant quarterback — like he is.”
If Minnesota lands a dominant type of quarterback somewhere in the upcoming draft, then the team made the right call on Fields and Jefferson should be happy and end up re-signing. However, if the Vikings miss, they may regret passing on Fields — especially if it results in Jefferson’s departure and the subsequent changing of regimes, which Minnesota navigated just two years ago.
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