This NY Giants-Bears trade for Justin Fields would make sense for both sides

The most talked about discussion for most people surrounding the NY Giants has been the quarterback situation for the 2024 season and beyond. With the Giants potentially in striking distance of possibly drafting a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft, it’s made people all over wonder if the Giants are ready to move on from Daniel Jones, despite being one year removed from leading them to the playoffs and winning a playoff game.

Even with a new contract signed this past March, Jones’ deal gives him $82 million guaranteed for the first two years and also allows the Giants to release him after the 2024 season with just a $22 million dead cap hit - so if the Giants are ever thinking about drafting a quarterback, and especially with Jones’ health now that he’s recovering from an ACL injury and surgery, the writing could be on the wall.

Could the NY Giants make a surprise trade for someone like Justin Fields?

Let's take a look at things. The Giants aren’t tanking, and have recent won their last two games to get to 4-8. Let’s say the Giants continue to keep winning games in the final five-game stretch. Four of the five are all games where you can make the case for the Giants.

With the Giants possible continuance of winning games, it could drop them out of the Top 10 of the NFL Draft, maybe even further down the order. So let’s say the Giants end up with seven or eight wins, and are in the mid-teens of the draft order. There’s a possible chance that six quarterbacks could be gone before the No. 14 pick. If the Giants end up picking later and decide to not trade up for a possible quarterback, it leaves them looking for possible options.

After all, Giants general manager Joe Schoen said the team would still look to add at quarterback for 2024 because Tyrod Taylor is a pending free agent and Jones’ health isn’t a guarantee. So if the Giants are looking for an alternative idea for a quarterback, we may have a possible Plan B idea.

From TheDraftScout and their recent mock draft for the 2024 NFL Draft, here’s where a possible idea could come from.

“What we're hearing is that if the Bears land the No. 1 pick, the selection will be Caleb Williams and (Justin) Fields will be traded for a mid-round pick to a team that misses out on quarterbacks in free agency and the early portion of the draft.”

So if the Bears do decide to take Williams with the No. 1 overall pick and dangle Fields in trade talks at some point in the offseason, would the Giants be a team that inquires? If they do, could a scenario like what the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers did for Trey Lance work for the Giants and Bears?

If so, the trade offer:

• The Giants receive QB Justin Fields.

• The Bears receive: 2024 fourth-round pick.

Now, for the Giants fan that is still hoping for Jones to resurge and refuses to hear any other ideas on a quarterback, especially Fields, there are some cons.

Fields is 7-26 as a starter currently with the Bears in his playing career. His accuracy has been called into question, as he’s got a career 61 percent accuracy rate. Some see him as a running quarterback only. Fields has also thrown for just 36 career touchdowns in less than three seasons, a number that isn’t quite ideal for today’s current NFL starting quarterback. However, there are several reasons why Fields makes sense.

Brian Daboll could be the coach to help Justin Fields reach his potential

Fields is only 24 years old and is still under his rookie contract with a $6 million cap hit for the 2024 season. Fields is in line for a possible fifth year option being picked up, which could be around $23.2 million. A figure that is much lower than the $41 million set for Jones in 2025.

Fields has shown flashes of being a decent quarterback in the NFL, but he hasn’t been consistent enough in Chicago. Could it possibly be a coaching issue in Chicago? Would Brian Daboll’s system and coaching be able to unlock Fields’ talents that everyone saw when he came out of Ohio State back in 2021? Fields has had games where he's posted four passing TDs, like he did against the Denver Broncos and Washington Commanders earlier this season.

Fields is also a solid runner as well, as he had 1,143 rushing yards with eight touchdowns in 2022 and already has over 400 rushing yards in 2023.

So, if the Giants miss out on possible draft options and can’t rely on Jones to be ready for Week 1 next September, could a Plan B of trading a mid-round pick for Fields be the way to go?

If the Giants keep winning games and fall out of the range to draft a quarterback, and if Schoen thinks it isn’t worth it to trade up for a quarterback in April, then a cheaper option for Fields could be worth exploring for the Giants, even if it’s for just the short term.