QB Justin Fields on unfollowing Bears: 'Let me know if I'm getting traded [or] ... staying'

Will he stay or will he go.

That's what Justin Fields wants to know sooner than later from the Chicago Bears.

The quarterback recently unfollowed the team that originally drafted him 11th overall in 2021, and then went on the "St. Brown Brothers" podcast this week to offer his first public comments since the 2023 season ended.

When Fields was broached about why he dropped the Bears on Instagram, he initially responded with a joke.

“Why do people take social media so serious?” Fields told the brothers. “I’m just trying to take a little break. I unfollowed the Bears and the NFL. I’m not just trying to have football on my timeline. … I’m about to go on vacation, I don’t want to see no football.”

Thanks to its trade with the Carolina Panthers last offseason, Chicago owns the top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Even though the 24-year-old started playing better down the stretch after returning from a dislocated thumb, many pundits expect Chicago to move on from Fields.

The Bears didn't use the top pick in last year's draft, but with a second chance at choosing first, not exploring the quarterback position isn't an option for Chicago. This year's QB prospect crop includes USC's Caleb Williams and North Carolina's Drake Maye as the leaders of the house.

Not only that, the team retained head coach Matt Eberflus but revamped its offensive coaching staff. If nothing else, the front office is providing Eberflus with another year to prove the offense's struggles aren't a result of his coaching but having the wrong framework around him.

As such, there's been a whirlwind of conversations about what to do with Fields — stand beside him or deal him elsewhere. If the Bears go with the trade option, then which team makes the most sense and has the most to offer Chicago in return?

Eventually, as the conversation moved on with the St. Brown brothers, Fields admitted to simply being tired of not knowing what his future holds. The Bears hold all the cards, Fields is stuck in the middle, and there's nothing he can do to change that until Chicago makes a decision.

So he used the platform he had to let the Bears know that he's happy in Chicago, but if they don't want him, he'd appreciate them simply saying that.

“If it was up to me, I would want to stay in Chicago. I love the city. The city’s lit. The fans are great," he said. "... The biggest thing is I just want it to be over. Let me know if I’m getting traded [or] let me know if I’m staying.”