Five burning NFL questions at the start of the 2024 league year

The NFL's 2024 League Year officially begins Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET. After a flurry of transactions over the past two days, here are five burning questions we're asking.

1. When is Bears quarterback Justin Fields getting traded?

In February, Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles declared his intention to trade Justin Fields before the start of free agency if the team decided it would use the No. 1 overall pick to select a quarterback.

Well, Fields is still in Chicago despite NFL insider Dianna Russini reporting in early March that the Bears plan on selecting former USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the first pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. 

The question becomes, how much is Fields worth as a backup on an expiring contract? His projected fifth-year option in 2025 as a former first-round pick is $25.664 million, far too much for someone with no guarantee of being a starter.

That puts any team trading for Fields in a predicament. Let's say he began the season on the bench and later shines after an injury to the No. 1 quarterback. At that point, Fields would likely command at least $30 million per year on the open market.

The chilly interest in Fields suggests no one is willing to give up the compensation the Bears want. Unless they bring down their asking price, it isn't out of the realm of possibility that Fields begins the season as Williams' backup.

2. Where will Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins play this season?

New England Patriots edge-rusher Matthew Judon already seems to know. He posted a message on social media that claimed he talked with Higgins (who requested a trade on Monday) and said he intends on "walking on" to the Patriots. Since Higgins is under contract and this isn't college, that isn't possible. But New England is in the wide-receiver market and has been strung along by Calvin Ridley, so its interest in Higgins is understandable.

3. What are the Vikings options at quarterback?

Sam Darnold, Jaren Hall and, ideally, Minnesota's first-round selection in the upcoming draft. The Vikings hold the No. 11 overall pick, putting them in the conversation for QB4, whether that is Michigan's J.J. McCarthy, Oregon's Bo Nix or Washington's Michael Penix Jr. 

We've seen enough of Darnold to know he's only good for one or two starts before unraveling and Hall would have to vastly improve in Year 2 to earn serious consideration. Nick Mullens is also on the roster, but he's only viable in a backup role. With a mega-extension for wideout Justin Jefferson on the horizon, Minnesota needs stability at quarterback to keep him from wanting to play elsewhere.

4. Why aren't the Cowboys doing anything?

Can someone wake Jerry Jones up? The Cowboys watched the rest of the NFC East bolster their rosters while the only move they made during the legal tampering window was to sign long-snapper Trent Sieg. As ESPN's "Get Up" noted on Wednesday morning, teams that rank 30th through 32nd in free-agency spending over the past 10 offseason have seen their win total decline by 1.4 games. With its inactivity, the Cowboys front office is setting Dallas up to fail.

5. Who are the best available free agents?

Per NFL.com, former Cowboys offensive tackle Tyron Smith is the best remaining free agent. Ridley, who is reportedly entertaining offers from the Jaguars and Patriots, is the top-ranked wideout, followed by Marquise Brown. Kamren Curl, Justin Simmons and Julian Blackmon headline what's left of a strong crop of free-agent safeties, while Chase Young, the former No. 2 overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft, and Jadeveon Clowney, the No. 1 overall pick in 2014, are the best edge-rushers.