Justin Fields should be begging the Broncos to trade for him

Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields is running out of options. The Bears are running out of trade partners. Things are so dire with the Bears and a potential Justin Fields trade that the Bears have let it leak that they may not even want to trade Fields at all. Hysterical. Justin Fields has expressed that he wants this saga to be over one way or the other, and with the Bears slated to draft Caleb Williams with the #1 overall pick (in all likelihood), Fields's future is a major question mark.

The Broncos need to find a way to raise the floor in the QB room. It appears clear that the rest of the NFL doesn't view Justin Fields as a starter right now, or maybe at all. But if you're Justin Fields and his agent David Mulugheta, you should be standing outside of Sean Payton's home with a boombox lifted high and Don't You (Forget About Me) blasting at the highest possible volume.

The Broncos were reportedly interested in signing former 3rd overall pick Sam Darnold, who ended up going to the Minnesota Vikings on a one-year deal worth $10 million. Not a bad raise for Darnold from his $4.5 million salary in 2023 with the 49ers. The Kyle Shanahan effect is real. But in all honesty, let's take a look at teams who needed a quarterback this offseason, whether we're talking about starters or backups:

• Kirk Cousins: Atlanta Falcons
• Baker Mayfield: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Russell Wilson: Pittsburgh Steelers
• Gardner Minshew: Las Vegas Raiders
• Sam Darnold: Minnesota Vikings
• Jacoby Brissett: New England Patriots
• Tyrod Taylor: New York Jets
• Mac Jones: Jacksonville Jaguars
• Mitch Trubisky: Buffalo Bills

Factor in that the Bears and Commanders are expected to use the top two picks in the NFL Draft on the quarterback position, and you have a situation where Justin Fields' list of possible destinations has diminished substantially, but you have a situation where the Denver Broncos may have the only moderately clear path at playing time in 2024.

Although the Broncos moved on from Russell Wilson largely because he couldn't properly run the Sean Payton offense, Justin Fields presents a much higher upside option at a much cheaper price. Based on the Mac Jones trade, you could possibly throw a late Day 3 selection at the Bears and get Fields in the fold for the price of just over $3 million.

Why would you not take that chance? It would at least give you a little bit of leverage going into the 2024 NFL Draft, and it might even deceive a few people.

Justin Fields for a year would be a much more fun option than Jarrett Stidham, with all due respect to Stidham. Fields actually did a lot of good things for the Bears last year and is one of the most dynamic running quarterbacks in the NFL. You don't think Sean Payton, who built an entire offense for Taysom Hill, could get any use out of Justin Fields, even if Payton uses a 1st-round pick on the QB position?

Let's say the Broncos are unable to acquire the QB they want in this draft. Having Justin Fields on the roster would allow you to pivot to a different position like tackle or receiver in round one, and punt the situation to 2025 where you would also have more cap space to work with.

The more time goes by, the more I am talking myself into this possibility. Maybe the Broncos are behind the scenes as well. We know George Paton passed on Justin Fields in the 2021 NFL Draft but maybe for a late-round pick the Broncos would take a shot. Given their situation right now, there might not be any better value for the price.