If the Bears are actually trading Justin Fields, should Colts be interested?

If the Chicago Bears actually trade Justin Fields and select a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick, should the Indianapolis Colts be interested in Fields?

The Chicago Bears are the lucky team with the No. 1 overall draft pick entering the 2023 NFL Draft. With the first pick, Chicago has a ton of options. The Bears could select one of the elite defenders: Will Anderson or Jalen Carter, or they could trade the pick to a quarterback-needy team like the Indianapolis Colts and get several more picks in return. One of the other options that have been discussed, is Chicago trading Justin Fields and drafting one of the top QBs in this draft class.

This has been a polarizing topic as the draft approaches. Some have argued that a prospect like Bryce Young has a far higher ceiling than Justin Fields, so Chicago should go all in on Young. Others have made the case that Fields has shown what he can do in this league and the Bears just need to adequately build around him. While the world will get more clarity about Chicago’s plans as the draft approaches, it’s fair to ask if Indy should be interested in Justin Fields if the Bears do decide to move on from him?

Should Colts trade for Justin Fields?

There’s been a lot of discussion about Indianapolis trading for Chicago’s No. 1 pick but would Indy settle for Fields? They should if that’s an option. If the Bears are really willing to trade away a promising Fields to gamble on a quarterback that hasn’t played in the league yet, the Colts should be all in on acquiring Justin Fields.

For starters, if the Bears go this route, Fields may end up being Indy’s best option. With Fields on the move, Chicago would likely select Bryce Young at No. 1 and the Houston Texans would probably take CJ Stroud at No. 2. If the Arizona Cardinals stay at No. 3, the next best available quarterbacks by the time Indy gets on the clock will be Anthony Richardson and Will Levis, two polarizing prospects. So the question for the Colts is: would they prefer Fields, Richardson, or Levis? The answer is easily Fields.

Colts should trade for Justin Fields if available

There’s no way anyone could watch what Shane Steichen did with Jalen Hurts the last two seasons, then fantasize about what he could do with Anthony Richardson or Will Levis, and not be excited if Steichen had the opportunity to build an offense around Justin Fields. Aside from Hurts, Fields is the only other quarterback in this discussion that’s taken snaps in the NFL and have already done things really well at this level.

Fields may not have established himself as an elite NFL quarterback yet, but his first two years has shown that he has the ability to become one. Playing in a Bears offense with mediocre weapons and behind an offensive line that may be the only line worst than Indy’s, Fields was running for his life weekly, and still found ways to make plays. In 2022, Fields completed 60.4% of his passes for 2,242 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. On the ground, he added 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns.

He was dominant with his rushing ability and still flashed the promising throwing ability that made him a coveted prospect when he was coming out of college. If the Colts come away from draft weekend with Justin Fields as their quarterback, they’ll have a really promising young QB to build around.