On Friday, the Steelers surprised many by trading quarterback Kenny Pickett to the Eagles. On Saturday, the Bears surprised everyone by trading quarterback Justin Fields to the Steelers.
In the aftermath of the two moves, here’s a question. Why didn’t the Eagles trade for Fields instead of Pickett?
Fields better fits the offense than Pickett, unless the Philly offense will be dramatically changing. Fields would be a better backup to starter Jalen Hurts.
Here’s a point Chris Simms raised on Monday’s PFT Live. The Eagles might have been concerned that some in Philly would conclude Fields is better than Hurts.
That’s one of the realities of having a franchise quarterback. If you have a backup who might be as good or potentially in some ways better than the franchise quarterback, you’ve got a problem.
That’s not to say Fields clearly would have become the better option. But it could have become an issue, if (for example) Hurts struggles and if (for example) Fields thrives when he gets a chance to play.
Few would doubt that Fields is better than Pickett. And the price for Fields was lower.
Of course, it’s possible the Eagles wanted Fields, but that Fields didn’t want the Eagles. Via Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com, six teams in all made a “variety of offers,” with most of them viewing Fields as a backup. Fields wanted to go to a place with an older starter.
In Pittsburgh, Fields could become QB1 after Russell Wilson, which could happen as soon as 2025. Until then, Fields could end up playing in specialty packages.
He apparently wanted the Steelers. Even if the Eagles wanted him, Fields might not have wanted to be the backup to Hurts.
