Much has been made about the Chicago Bears’ decision to trade Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
But while many have expressed surprise regarding the Bears only being able to only receive so little in return, one of Fields’ former rivals couldn’t be happier about the transaction.
“I’m not going to lie, it’s nice to have Fields out of that division,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell told reporters at the NFL’s annual league meetings in Orlando on Tuesday, according to Jeremy Reisman.
While Fields’ three-season stint in Chicago had plenty of ups and downs, he performed relatively well in the Bears’ annual matchups against Detroit. In five games against the Lions, the Ohio State product completed 57 percent of his passes for 843 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions, while adding 450 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns — the most he has totaled against any opponent to this point in his career.
In those five games, Chicago amassed a 2-3 record against Detroit — not bad when you consider the states of the two franchises over the course of the past three seasons. With Fields headed to Pittsburgh, the Lions will now likely find themselves getting familiar with USC quarterback Caleb Williams, who the Bears are expected to select with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft.
[Jeremy Reisman, Detroit Lions]
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.