The great Mick Jagger told us in a Rolling Stones song that we can’t always get what we want.
Now, will the Chicago Bears get what they need?
The Bears did the expected on Saturday night, trading away quarterback Justin Fields, the former first-round draft choice, to the Pittsburgh Steelers. And they got a sixth-round pick in return that could become a fourth-rounder.
A fourth-rounder, for what had been expected to be a franchise quarterback.
The recent evaluation of quarterbacks coming into the league is a bit – well, head-scratching.
- Mack Jones, some thought, coming out of Nick Saban’s Alabama system like Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa, would be a poor man’s Tom Brady in New England, and all it ultimately did was hasten exits – both for Jones (now in Jacksonville, most likely behind Trevor Lawrence) and legendary coach Bill Belichick. Of course, had Belichick not forced square-peg-into-round-hole Matt Patricia, a longtime defensive specialist, into an unaccustomed role as offensive coordinator, maybe Jones’ career wouldn’t have taken a bit of a nose dive.
- Trey Lance, the third overall pick a couple of years ago (same draft as Fields and Jones), selected by the San Francisco 49ers and struggled to complete a pass, let alone stay healthy. Lance, who had been drafted at best as a possible savior for the franchise and at worst, a better-stronger-faster QB than Jimmy Garoppolo, would ultimately be shipped to Dallas, where he’s the third quarterback on the depth chart.
- Zach Wilson, the young BYU stud that reminded so many of a young gunslinger in the mold of Brett Favre, gunslung his way right out of the New York Jets, who apparently thought they made a mistake with the pick, traded for Aaron Rodgers and were willing to let Wilson walk.
Fields’ replacement, most in the know say, will be Southern Cal quarterback Caleb Williams, the former Heisman Trophy-winner expected to be the No. 1 pick in the draft – which belongs to the Bears.
But would Williams – whose temperamental behavior late in losses and questionable comments (even if it was his representation) about only playing for certain teams – try and pull an Elway, a Bo Jackson or a Manning and tell the Bears he won’t play for them if they draft him?
No way to know, yet.
Fields heads to a Steelers franchise that just agreed to a deal with Russell Wilson, so one would expect Wilson, the quarterback for Seattle for several years who found the going a lot tougher in Denver, to be the starter. Fields will sit behind Wilson for at least a season, maybe even two – or three. Pittsburgh promptly traded disgruntled former draft pick Kenny Pickett to the Eagles when he pouted about both.
For the record, Fields’ numbers in three seasons: 578-of-958 completions for 6,674 yards, 40 touchdowns and 30 interceptions.
