Chicago Tribune

Dan Wiederer: The end of the Justin Fields era in Chicago sends Bears fans on a quest for closure

Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields warms up to face the Atlanta Falcons at Soldier Field on Dec. 31, 2023, in Chicago.

CHICAGO — The arguments won’t end here, but they should die down quickly. With Justin Fields’ future as the Bears quarterback shifting from somewhat murky to crystal clear on Saturday, Chicago’s longest-running football shouting match will take on a new form.

Fields is a Steeler now, traded to Pittsburgh in exchange for a sixth-round pick and paving the way for the Bears to start over — again — at the most important position.

Inside the NFL, it’s a move that was expected for some time now. But Saturday’s development will push all Bears fans to chart their own course to closure.

The Fields era in Chicago is over. Just like that.

Another chapter in this franchise’s disheartening quarterback history has ended unceremoniously and with so much unwanted but familiar emptiness.

No matter what side of the fence you’ve been straddling, barraged

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