Who will be running the offense for the Chicago Bears next season? Chicago has the luxury of having the first overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft and almost certainly won’t take a quarterback unless they move Justin Fields before the draft kicks off on April 27. Bryce Young is the consensus No. 1 pick with the shortest odds at -175, suggesting either the top spot or Fields will be dealt. In a QB needy NFL with many dominoes to still fall, the Bears should have plenty of suitors.
Washington Commanders
The Commanders tried and failed to resurrect Carson Wentz’s career last year. Wentz was released on Monday, and his backup/sometimes replacement starter Taylor Heinicke is a free agent. Washington says they will give Sam Howell every chance to win the starting job, but Fields would be a clear-cut upgrade.
Washington isn’t on the clock until 16, so Young, followed by Buckeyes alum CJ Stroud (+350), Anthony Richardson from Florida (+750), and Kentucky’s Will Levis (+900) on the No 1. pick odds board will be long gone.
Wideouts Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel are solid weapons, and Brian Robinson should be even better after a good, shortened rookie season. The O-line needs work, but Fields ran for the second-most yards by a quarterback in NFL history (1,143) behind a shoddy Chicago protection unit last season. New OC Eric Bieniemy could scheme beautifully with a quarterback of Fields’s skillset.
The Commanders have indicated they are not interested or really in a position to spend on another quarterback. Still on his rookie deal, the Ohio State standout carries a cap hit of around $11 million over the next two years.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
GOAT lightning won’t strike twice in Tampa. Tom Brady retired and unretired ahead of last season, but this time the forecast is cloudy, with a chance of scattered quarterback meetings in Florida.
While the Bucs lost Brady, a ton of offensive talent remains. Receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin could be the best 1-2 punch in football, and Tampa would provide Fields with the protection he has never had in the pros.
The Bucs rushing attack appears to be going from bad to worse as veteran Leonard Fournette is expected to be released. Last season, Fields nearly outran Tampa (1,308) himself, so he would immediately make the Bucs a more well-rounded offense with an improved ground game.
Like Washington, Tampa would benefit from an affordable option behind center. Releasing Fournette will clear around $3 and a half million, but they are still projected to be in one of the worst cap hells in football. Set to go into 2023, more than $50 million over, can the Bucs afford not to dangle their 19th overall pick along with some higher-paid vets?
The Bucs are already in the mix to win the division at (+290) after taking it at 8-9 last year. As weak as the NFC South was and is, they immediately jump over the Carolina Panthers (+200) and create space from the Atlanta Falcons (+420) as the favorite to repeat as divisional champions by adding Fields. They’d also be playing keep away from both quarterback-hungry division rivals and have a leg up on perhaps their most significant threat to go back-to-back.
New Orleans Saints
While the Saints sit sandwiched between Tampa and the Panthers at +210 to take the South, they may be able to provide Fields with the best-supporting cast.
Wideout Chris Olave was one of just two rookies to surpass the 1,000 receiving-yard mark last season when he led all NFL freshmen with almost 70 yards per game. Alvin Kamara is still a great dual threat out of the backfield, and Taysom Hill is an excellent swiss army knife on the offensive end.
New Orleans is right with its Florida division counterpart, also in tough against the cap. While there has been mutual flirting between Saints brass and Derek Carr, he won’t help them out of the red.
Speaking of red, Fields’s former mentor in Chicago, Andy Dalton, was not the answer in the Big Easy and is a UFA after signing a one-year deal with the Saints in 2022. Jameis Winston has not impressed since coming over from Tampa, playing in just 14 games over three years. While injuries have been an issue, a QB rating of 32.8 last year didn’t help either.
The Saints were able to pick up a late first-round pick in their deal that sent former head coach Sean Payton to Denver. They could package the 29th overall and help their cap situation in one swoop.
All Odds Courtesy FanDuel Sportsbook
