Ryan Poles said from the beginning that he would do right by Justin Fields, and with his trade to the Pittsburgh Steelers, he has done just that. In what many seemed to accept long ago, Fields’ time with the Chicago Bears was coming to an end. With last week’s trade to the the Steel City for a conditional 6th round pick that could turn into a 4th, Poles honored his word and sent the former Bears quarterback to one of the best organizations with one of the best scenarios possible.
Ryan Poles relationship with Justin Fields
Throughout their time together in Chicago, Fields and Poles have seemingly had a cohesive relationship. Upon being hired, Poles threw his support behind the young Bears quarterback, and the tear down of the Bears was underway. Over the next two years, Chicago’s roster underwent massive changes as part of Poles’ immense rebuild. Following the 2023 season and owning the number one overall pick from Carolina, the discussion of Poles moving on from Fields grew from whispers to shouts. The Bears GM promised that he would do what was best for the young QB from the start, and he followed through with that by trading him to the Steelers even though there were reportedly better offers out there.
Steelers quarterbacks didn’t get it done
Steelers fans suffered through a tough year at the quarterback position in 2023. Kenny Pickett didn’t live up to expectations even though the Steelers had a good record when he started. The question is, did they win because of him or in spite of him? On the field, his numbers were pedestrian. He played in 12 games, threw for just over 2,000 yards, and had 6 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. He left early in three of the games he started (Pittsburgh lost all three of them), and while he rarely turned the ball over, he just as rarely put the ball in the end zone.
Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph also started multiple games for the Steelers, but everyone in the football world agrees that they are both backups at best. Rudolph posted good numbers but has taken enough snaps in the league for coaches and GMs to know who and what he truly is–a serviceable backup but not a long term solution. In the end, Trubisky and Rudolph are gone via free agency, and Pickett was unhappy and unloaded to be a backup in Philadelphia.
Ryan Poles stuck to his word
Poles wanted Fields to be in a good situation where he could compete and potentially find a path to playing time. As players started signing and trades were made, that path was becoming more and more murky. As reported by ESPN, Poles worked to find the right place for JF1, even if it meant not getting the very best for the franchise:
