The Chicago Bears may have traded Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but that doesn’t mean they’re ready to take Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Bears still have over a month to decide which quarterback to take.

The Chicago Bears traded Justin Fields
On Saturday evening, the Bears traded Fields for a conditional 2025 sixth-round pick. Early this offseason, the Bears decided to restart the quarterback clock in this year’s draft. Many draft analysts think the Bears will select Williams.

The Bears need to finalize their evaluation of Caleb Williams
According to Courtney Cronin with ESPN, the Bears have not finalized their evaluation of the top quarterbacks in this year’s draft:

The Bears are in the process of finalizing their evaluations of Williams and the other top quarterbacks in the draft, and they will arrive at a decision within the next few weeks. A sizable contingent from the Bears’ front office and coaching staff will be on hand for USC’s pro day on March 20. The team will then host Williams on a top-30 visit to get to learn more about him as a person.

All signs point to Williams being the top pick. Chicago will also formulate its contingency plan for potentially trading back a pick or two if its evaluation leads to a prospect other than Williams.

The report underscores the idea that the Bears had no intention of keeping Fields this offseason. The Bears were planning on trading Fields regardless of their feelings about Williams.

The Bears are still expected to draft Williams
Per reports, the Bears felt better about drafting Williams following the NFL Combine than before heading to Indianapolis. However, the team must still meet with Williams and examine his medical information following USC’s pro day next week.

The Bears must also do their due diligence on Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, J.J. McCarthy, Michael Penix, and Bo Nix in the next few weeks. But even if the Bears haven’t finalized their decision on Williams, this process is trending toward that.