NFC team viewed as ‘leader’ in Justin Fields sweepstakes

Justin Fields could be headed for a homecoming.

The Atlanta Falcons recently emerged as the favorite to land Justin Fields this offseason. According to Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Chicago, the Falcons have felt like “the leader of a small pack” of teams that have an interest in acquiring Fields from the Bears.

Fields grew up in Kennesaw, Ga., which is located just outside of Atlanta. Falcons head coach Raheem Morris fueled the Fields trade speculation when he spoke to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports on Tuesday about the importance of having a quarterback who is not only the best fit for the team but also “the best fit for our city.”

Jones perked up when Morris mentioned the city aspect, but Morris doubled down.

“People are going to read into those words or whatever, however they do those things and you can’t stop that,” Morris said. “Obviously, there’s people that are from Atlanta. There’s people from around Atlanta. You could name the mileage of how close some of the people are, but you’ve got to do what’s best and what’s right for your team at the right time.”