Does Bears QB Justin Fields want Atlanta homecoming amid Falcons rumors?

Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields insisted during a recent appearance on "The St. Brown Brothers Podcast" that he would "still mess with the Bears" if the team didn't use the first overall pick of this year's draft to land his replacement. 

Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk noted that Fields grew up in the Atlanta area. The 24-year-old was asked during the podcast if he'd welcome a homecoming and an offseason move to the Atlanta Falcons, and Fields didn't necessarily sound thrilled about the idea. 

"Atlanta would be tough," Fields admitted. "The only con of going back home is just people hitting my phone crazy, wanting tickets to the game. I think they got a lot of playmakers on the team." 

Specifically, Fields mentioned running back Bijan Robinson, tight end Kyle Pitts and wide receiver Drake London among offensive weapons who potentially could help the signal-caller improve assuming the Falcons are interested in acquiring his services. 

"They probably need one more receiver, but they definitely got some guys over there," Fields added about the Falcons. "And their defense was good this year, too." 

The 2023 Falcons went 7-10 as Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke took the majority of the snaps at quarterback for the club. 

Previous stories linked Atlanta with proven veteran signal-callers such as Kirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings and Baker Mayfield of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, both of whom were on track to reach free agency in March as of late Thursday morning. Additionally, it's believed the Bears want to receive picks in the second and fourth rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft as part of a Fields trade even though a club such as Atlanta would have only until the May 2 deadline to either exercise or decline the fifth-year option for 2025 worth roughly $23.3M attached to Fields' rookie contract.

The harsh reality is that Fields should use public appearances to make it known he's eager to join any team that would make him a QB1 even via a one-year audition, considering it's likely Chicago will select USC star Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall draft pick this spring.