Why it might make sense for Bears to keep Justin Fields

The Chicago Bears own the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft and seem on track to select a quarterback — likely USC's Caleb Williams — in that spot. That has put the team's current quarterback, Justin Fields, on the trade block after three inconsistent, but at times exciting, seasons. 

That trade market has not been very robust and the Bears might be reaching a point where it makes sense to do something completely boring — something that would have seemed unheard of when they were locked into the No.1 pick.

Just keep Fields.

Even if the Bears move forward with selecting Williams (or any other quarterback) with the top pick, that does not devalue Fields as a trade chip. Nor does it take away his talent or upside. Given how many teams have already made significant additions to find potential starting quarterbacks this offseason, there simply may not be any other suitors looking to give up a meaningful asset for Fields. That means instead of getting a first-or second-round pick — or even a third-round pick — the Bears might have to resort to taking something even less if they want to move off the signal-caller immediately.

And that may not be worth it, especially when Fields could still theoretically provide some value to the Bears.

There is nothing wrong with having two capable quarterbacks on your roster. Injuries happen and no top draft pick, no matter the hype surrounding them when they enter the NFL, is a sure thing — at least not from the very start of their career.

A little competition also wouldn't be bad for anybody in training camp and could also give Fields a chance to boost his trade value with a strong camp or preseason performance. 

No, it might not be ideal to have both Fields and a rookie on the team at the same time. But it's also not ideal to give a talented player away for way less than you wanted. The Bears are going to need another capable quarterback on the roster anyway, and they are unlikely to find a better, more talented or cheaper short-term option on the open market. 

So Chicago shouldn't lower its asking value for Fields. If brass can't work out a fair deal, they should just hold onto dual-threat QB.