Fans slam report NFL teams comparing Justin Fields to Sam Darnold, Drew Lock: "This is bulls**t"

Fans are up in arms after reports emerged that a market for Justin Fields might not arise due to others valuing him at the same level as Sam Darnold or Drew Lock. This essentially puts the Bears quarterback in the same bracket as backup quarterbacks and means that Chicago will be compensated accordingly.

All of this has come about because the Bears have ended up with the first pick of the 2024 NFL Draft and have the opportunity to draft the likes of Caleb Williams, who is considered a generational quarterback. This means they need to move on from Justin Fields. Given that the Chicago quarterback is a proven NFL starter, the Bears would have wanted a good haul of picks so that they could use them to build around whichever new quarterback they draft.

However, if the Bears starter for the last couple of seasons is being compared to Drew Lock and Sam Darnold, it puts a hole in Chicago's plans. Fans, though, suspect other NFL general managers of playing a game of bluff as they seek to drop Justin Fields' trade value.

Supporters took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to express their outrage at this comparison. Using strong words to dismiss the suggestion that Drew Lock and Sam Darnold are in any way similar to the current Chicago quarterback, they implied that this was to drive down the Bears' leverage in the market. Here are some of the reactions.

Justin Fields might be equal to Sam Darnold and Drew Lock in trade value in the current market

Fans might be scratching their heads as to why Justin Fields is being compared to Sam Darnold and Drew Lock but that might be more of a market reality than any comparison of actual talent.

Currently, NFL teams have the option of players like Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, J.J. McCarthy, to name a few, all of whom are considered NFL-worthy quarterbacks. Because they can get those college stars on a rookie contract, it makes no sense to go after the Bears quarterback, who will command a bigger contract as a veteran.

Also, teams know that the Bears have the first overall pick in this year's draft and are likely to draft a quarterback and are therefore willing to move on from Justin Fields as a matter of priority. When teams already know your next move, they are unlikely to give a high compensation. All of this might put the Chicago quarterback's trade value at par with the likes of Sam Darnold and Drew Lock.