Reporter explains why trade market for Justin Fields may not be 'robust'

While many believe the Chicago Bears will secure a hefty bag in a trade for quarterback Justin Fields, Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune doesn't believe a "robust" market exists for the former first-round pick. 

"That's hard for a lot of people to understand because they've seen the Justin Fields highlight reel, they see the plays he's capable of making, and they go, 'Well, somebody's going to want this guy,'" Wiederer said on the "Go Long" podcast. 

As Wiederer explained, three of the presumed top candidates for Fields, the Las Vegas Raiders, Atlanta Falcons and Pittsburgh Steelers, have logical reasons to look elsewhere. 

For starters, the Raiders recently hired former Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, who had little success molding his scheme around Fields over two seasons. 

Likewise, Falcons OC Zac Robinson runs a system similar to Getsy's, which would likely clash with the QB's skillset. 

Finally, Wiederer hinted that the Steelers are mulling over the possibility of giving Kenny Pickett another "crack" at the starting job with Arthur Smith, who is now in tow as OC in Pittsburgh. 

Aside from potential fit issues, teams interested in Fields must also consider his drawbacks. Along with late-game struggles, he's missed more games (11) due to injury than he's won (10) over three seasons as the Bears starter.  

Fields has shown countless glimpses of what could be, but it's possible that he is what he is now. Better weapons and the right offense may open the key to another level, but Weiderer and others argue that it's a risk the Bears can't take. 

"We're too deep into a career to still be going, 'Maybe, just maybe, if everything is perfect around him, he'll suddenly hit this magic springboard and break through the portal into some new realm that we haven't unlocked before,'" Wiederer said. "That's hope-based optimism that isn't rooted in the reality of what you've seen." 

If a trade does go down, it will likely happen soon. Bears general manager Ryan Poles recently said it'd be "unfair" not to trade fields before free agency begins on March 13.