Falcons GM Terry Fontenot breaks silence on team’s interest in Justin Fields with Bears possibly drafting Caleb Williams

The Bears are currently holding the number 1 Draft pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Falcons GM Terry Fontenot breaks silence on team’s interest in Justin Fields with Bears possibly drafting Caleb Williams

Caleb Williams (L- Imago), Terry Fontenot (M- X), Justin Fields (R- Imago)

The NFL has entered the off-season mode. Now, teams will work to put the best squad possible to compete in the upcoming season. Amidst this, the Atlanta Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot opens up about his team’s interest in Justin Fields. The Chicago Bears might be potentially targeting Caleb Williams in the draft, so Fields might be on the trade block.

During a recent interview on The NFL Report show with Steve Wyche, the Falcons’ general manager, Terry Fontenot, was asked about his interest in trading for Fields. Fontenot refused to directly address the question, but he did give a subtle hint that he might’ve done some research on Fields.

YouTube video
You know we cannot talk about players on rosters… That's why you evaluate players at every point in their careers. That's why it is so critical as we go through free agency and possible trades where you're evaluating a player.
Terry Fontenot said on the show

Furthermore, he also said that when evaluating a player, he would look at the player’s evolution instead of just looking at his last year’s report. Fields has shown constant improvement through his first three years in the league.

FS Video
You're never going to look at a report from last year or the year before. We're going to look at the evolution of players. So, yes. We have to be detailed and evaluate players in every phase.
Terry Fontenot said

The Falcons currently have Desmond Ridder as their franchise quarterback. Ridder hasn’t shown any promise in 2 years, and with new management taking over, they might be looking at other options. Since they don’t have a top 5 draft pick, they are expected to look for QBs in free agency and the trade market. Justin Fields might be their best option.

Should the Bears keep Justin Fields or draft Caleb Williams?

The Bears are currently holding the number 1 draft pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. They can either draft Caleb Williams to be their future leader, or they could keep Justin Fields as their QB and trade down in the draft to gain more assets.

Justin Fields
Justin Fields (via Imago)

There’s no guarantee Fields will improve from here on. But, if even he shows any improvement it will still be somewhat of a problem for the Bears.

Justin Fields will be entering the final year of his rookie deal in 2024. Considering the fifth-year option and franchise tags, Fields might be available for cheap for the next couple of years.

By drafting the generational prospect Caleb Williams, the Bears will be able to restart the clock and get themselves four more years of a rookie QB. They also have enough draft picks to build a team around Williams and they will get more assets if they trade away Justin Fields. So, for now, trading away Fields and drafting Williams seems like the right thing to do for the Chicago-based franchise.

In case you missed it: