A couple of weeks ago there was a report that the Bears were planning to enter Week 1 with Andy Dalton as their starter, which a lot of people dismissed.
Now, Bears head coach Matt Nagy has more or less confirmed that report publicly in a recent appearance on Cris Collinsworth’s podcast (Twitter video link). When asked by Collinsworth if there was any possible scenario where rookie Justin Fields is under center come Week 1, Nagy said “No.” Fields, of course, was just drafted 11th overall by Chicago.
“I mean Andy is our starter. And again, I can’t predict anything, you know how it goes. I mean there’s so many things that could happen between today and that Week 1. But Andy is our starter and Justin is our number two, and we’re going to stick to this plan,” he continued.
It sounds like the team wants to do right by Dalton, as he was publicly anointed as the starter after signing a one-year, $10MM deal back in March.
It’s worth keeping in mind that only four quarterbacks chosen in Round 1 since 2011 — when that year’s CBA changed first-rounders’ earnings and timelines — did not become a primary starter in Year 1. They were Patrick Mahomes, Jake Locker (2011), Johnny Manziel (2014) and Paxton Lynch (2016).
Both Nagy and GM Ryan Pace are on very thin ice. If the Bears struggle this season, they’ll almost certainly both be fired. As such, it’s hard to believe they’ll have too much patience. Unless Dalton comes in and immediately catches fire and leads the team to victories, it’s hard to see them waiting more than a few weeks to pull the trigger.
If Dalton is anything other than excellent, the pressure from fans and the media will be intense to unleash Fields, the former Ohio State star. We should learn a lot more about the situation in training camp and the preseason.
Bears play the Rams week 1. They aren’t going to send Justin out there to get murdered by Aaron Donald.
This.
Dalton probably will start week 1. He’ll get thrashed, but Chicago will have an out to bench him without looking like they completely lied to Andy. Fields gets to avoid the Rams. It makes sense, but I can also understand Bears fans frustrations.
Let Fields sit out the entire year. If the team starts slow fire Nagy, the real problem, and keep the Red Rifle going.
Fields needs to sit a year, maybe 2, before he should go out there. Many great QBs have done this.
Different time, though. You get 5 years with a rookie QB on a cheap deal. Sitting them one full season takes a tremendous amount of restraint. You’ll never see a perceived franchise QB sit two years though again. You shorten that cheap salary window too much.
‘You’ll never see a perceived franchise QB sit two years though again.’
It’s possible Jordan Love will, though A) it’s debatable if he’s a perceived franchise QB and B) the Packers did it to themselves.
Why do people ask these questions every single year. Was Burrow like the only guy where they flat out said our rookie 1st round QB was the starter?
Whatever you think of Dalton, he has paid his dues over a ten year career and has earned the right to be the starter on opening day. I’m not hoping he fails but the sooner Nagy and Pace are run out of Chicago the better.
What? No he hasnt.
You can win with AD , especially if Rodgers is out of the division. That can change that entire division.
No, you cant
Us Bears fans have had such a long drought of sustainable success and/or heartbreak that I can suffer another year with a below average QB. But if we don’t see a turnaround this year, A) Pace and Nagy better be gone and B) I don’t want to hear the same garbage next year of another veteran QB starting ahead of our (hopefully) franchise QB.
They want to “do right” by Dalton? Sounds like a built in excuse should the team start slow. If Fields isn’t ready then fine but really silly to hold a guy back just to “do right” by Daulton who will be paid well regardless
I agree that the “do right” blather is complete nonsense. Pace and Nagy are trying to sound noble but they will use Andy as their fall guy in a heartbeat to save their jobs.
Andy will play until Nagy feels his seat getting hot and throws Fields to the dogs to try to save his and Pace’s jobs. If I was a Bears fan I’d be adamant that I don’t want to see Fields at all until he’s actually ready and not just because the coach is desperately trying to survive the season.
Guess Nagy never watched Dalton play last year. Hint: The guy was AWFUL. He looked like a raw rookie rather than a 10 year starter. Oh sure, he’ll likely pick up the play book quicker than a recent college draftee but once he hits the field he’ll play like a guy off the practice squad.
Um he wasn’t close to awful so not sure what you were watching. The Cowboys oline nearly got him killed against the WFT. When he actually had time to throw, he was good. Raw rookie is a huge stretch.
With a record of 28-20 and two playoff appearances in three years, would someone please tell me why Nagy should be on the verge of being fired? Pace, I think I get.
The answer to your question is quite simple. Nagy was hired to build a strong offense and develop a young QB prospect. His offenses have ranked 21st, 29th and 26th and he failed so badly with Trubisky that the guy is now earning a minimum salary as a backup QB.
Which sounds an awful lot like the reason that Jim Caldwell was fired in Detroit. And how did that work out?
What team is Matt Nagy going to be an assistant for after this season?
He’s a native of New Jersey so the Jets or Giants would probably be desperate enough to give him a gig.
What else is he going to say … Dalton will start Game 1 … Why any coach say anything different at this point with Dalton on the team..
Each game the Bears play the odds increase that Fields gets more playing time and eventually
He will be the starter most likely by game 5/6