Bears GM makes admission about Justin Fields trade market: 'I was a little bit surprised'

The Chicago Bears wound up getting a conditional sixth-round draft pick for quarterback Justin Fields, a return that was much lower than what many fans expected when it became clear that the team was going to trade him. Fans were not the only ones surprised at the state of the market, however.

Bears GM Ryan Poles admitted he expected a more robust market for Fields, but conceded that the pool of interested teams was relatively small. Poles also admitted that most teams saw Fields as a backup.

“I was a little bit surprised,” Poles said Monday, via Courtney Cronin of ESPN. “But as you do research and we have conversations, you have to kind of adjust to the market. But I think just with how other teams are built, because if you look at the beginning, there are probably teams that are looking at the draft for guys to fill in. On the back end, playoff teams probably have someone in place. So really it was a smaller pool of teams.”

The Bears had hoped to land a Day 2 pick for Fields, but they did not come all that close. Poles also admitted the Bears wanted to do right by Fields and send him somewhere they felt he could succeed, which is part of why they prioritized the Pittsburgh Steelers’ interest.

Fields will initially back up Russell Wilson in Pittsburgh, but oddsmakers appear to believe that arrangement may change quickly.