Upon returning from a dislocated thumb, Justin Fields faced a seven-game audition that would likely determine his post-2023 future in Chicago. Thus far, the 2021 first-round pick has impressed. The Bears have won two straight against division rivals, and Fields put together a solid game in the team’s upset win over the Lions in Week 14.
Before Fields began this final audition of sorts, reports pointed the Bears in different directions regarding their QB future. Multiple mid-November reports indicated the team was more likely to trade Fields and go with a top prospect in the 2024 draft. With the Panthers continuing to struggle and now two games behind the NFL’s second-worst record with four to play, the Bears are closer to having another opportunity to make their choice atop a draft. While Ryan Poles passed on that chance this year, trading the top pick to Carolina, it would represent a bigger risk move another No. 1 choice.
Although a subsequent report pegged the Bears as needing to be “blown away” by a QB prospect to move on from Fields, Yahoo.com’s Charles Robinson spoke with a number of GMs who suggest the Bears’ decision should not be that difficult. Reasons ranging from Caleb Williams‘ prospect profile to cost certainty to the risk of trading No. 1 overall picks in back-to-back years to Poles not being in Chicago when Fields was drafted pointed to the anonymous GMs expecting the team to trade its current quarterback and prepare for the future.
This scenario would remind of the Jets’ 2021 call, which now doubles as a warning to other teams. While some in the Jets’ building advocated for keeping Sam Darnold and passing on drafting Zach Wilson at No. 2 overall two years ago, the Jets centered their future around Wilson by trading Darnold to the Panthers for a three-pick package.
The key difference here being that Williams is a former Heisman winner who has resided as a top-tier prospect for multiple seasons; Wilson, conversely, rocketed toward the top of the ’21 draft board because he impressed against lower-level competition. The COVID-19-altered 2020 season, featuring independent BYU needing to schedule lesser competition, created this scenario. No such variables exist with Williams, though he could not match his dominant 2022 Heisman campaign this year.
Should the Bears follow that Jets plan, the anonymous execs told Robinson that the team should not be expected to fetch a first-round pick in a Fields trade. None of the seven trade proposals featured a first-rounder, though a few included a second. This partially hinges on Fields finishing this season strong. That would undoubtedly increase the run-oriented QB’s trade value while also making Poles’ decision more difficult.
It is still not a lock the Bears have Poles and Matt Eberflus in place to make these decisions. President Kevin Warren, whom the Bears hired in January, represents a wild card. Even if the Panthers provide the Bears with the No. 1 pick, the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora notes Warren will be expected to seriously consider changes to the coaching staff and front office. We heard this in September, but the Bears have performed better as of late. They are now only one game out of another mediocre NFC pursuit for the No. 7 seed, and La Canfora offers the caveat of a surprise playoff surge taking 2024 HC-GM changes off the table.
Warren is primarily running the Bears’ efforts to secure a new stadium, but the former Big Ten commissioner is expected to weigh in on football matters — like how the team should proceed with the No. 1 pick. Formerly a Lions, Vikings and Rams staffer, Warren is set to evaluate Poles and Eberflus in the offseason. The subject of wanting his own HC will likely come up, according to ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Caplan. How that potential motivation would affect Poles remains to be seen, but Eberflus probably joins Fields in needing to prove himself to close out this season.
This is not especially uncommon. New Commanders owner Josh Harris is expected to fire Ron Rivera, while the Broncos both changed HCs a year after hiring a new GM (going from Vic Fangio to Nathaniel Hackett) and then a year after having new ownership (Hackett to Sean Payton). The Panthers fired Rivera during David Tepper‘s second year in charge. The Bears do not have a new owner, but it is clear Warren will be a key decision-maker when it comes time to make a call on staffers. While the Bears are a long shot to extend this late-season recovery to the playoffs, the 2023 squad’s homestretch will be important through a long-term lens.
What most of the bottom half teams need to ask themselves is, can a qb fix a bad team, or should the team be fixed first? Stroud and Young are 2 different qb’s, but the texans gave an all pro left tackle and several other experienced lineman. Young has nothing… Not the only difference, but any young qb cant be properly judged without a chance to throw with a semi clean pocket. No QB is drafted and the scouts say oh yeah he sucks at throwing… they need a chance to show it, and good lineman can give them that chance.
I think this is true, but I also think they need to ask themselves if they need to reset the timer on having a QB on a rookie contract. The Bears have to pay Fields soon and the roster around him isn’t great. This is a good QB draft they can get another 4-5 years of cheap QB play as the team is built up. A lot of the top teams the past 5+ years have QBs on the cheap.
The Bears roster isn’t bad. There aren’t many weak spots left, except QB.
The Texans OL has been decimated by injuries all year and even on paper (outside of LT) is not good. Their WR’s are all young and were not expected to be great this year. Stroud has made them as much as they have helped him. Shultz was a good pickup. So was Singletary. Pierce has been terrible.
Coaching staff and Stroud deserve the credit. They have been much better than the brain trust in CAR and Stroud has simply played much better than Young.
This plan sounds like The Kansas City Shuffle
Exactly. Stroud has all the excuses to be bad, but hasn’t. Fields is in his 3rd year and still hasn’t shown it.
Texans have dealt with injuries along their line so that’s not really a valid excuse.
Tunsil missed 4 games himself. Theyve had rookie centers playing and are on their 3rd string rg and had back up rt playing at times too.
Carolina invested a #6? Overall pick in a LT and spent money on online as well- Corbett at G Bozeman at C
They also signed Thielen Chark Hurst to provide veteran receivers for young. Texans signed Woods and Schultz.
As many many coaches and GMs have said in the past. The games will always begin and end with the lines. You must have a good O line to keep your QB clean and lanes open for RBs and you must have a D line that can plug holes and get to the QB. Teams screw up because they see the shiny object in the foreground.
That’s the issue with surrendering a #1 like that. Even if Young was an elite #1, which he wasn’t, you are never going to win as many games as you think, and your #1 pick is exponentially higher.
Lawrence was elite, and still only went 3-14. Burrow was elite and Cincy went 4-11.
I can see a scenario where the number one pick gets moved for two ones and an impact player like Moore was last year. Fields really isn’t the Bears problem. They need talent, and aren’t far from being a better than 500 team. Maybe a trade with Raiders for two ones and Crosby. Washington, Giants and Atlanta could also work. Same basic vale as last years one…just a more sure QB in return.
Fields has absolutely been the problem. Over 3 years and he hasn’t shown any consistency. Still holds the ball too long and fumbles. Still hasn’t shown to have command of the offense and team.
Wrong, The OC is THE problem with the Bears offense. If they don’t replace Getsy it won’t matter who plays QB they won’t go far at all.
I hear that all the time but no one can say exactly why it’s the OCs fault
The experts said the same thing about Dorsey, yet his lack of creativity and scheme-matching skills was apparent to everyone who watched the games. Look at the Bills’ improvement on offense since they canned his butt after 1 1/2 wasted seasons.
They are both the problem. Holding on to the ball too long and not seeing the field is not an OC issue. Scheme, bad play calling and lack of adjustments is an OC problem.
That’s an over simplification and I think that tends to happen with certain QBs. Fields is likely not going to be an all pro, but he does not have to be.. Dilfer who a SB for crying out loud. He just needs to be consistently better than average, and make the occasional deep throw to keep a D off balance.
The Raiders will categorically not trade Maxx Crosby.
Ridiculous trade proposal even if they were open to the idea. Crosby has far more value than Moore did.
Ok, that’s a ridiculous statement. QB, WR and DE are generally considered the cornerstones of a team. Saying Crosby is more valuable than Moore is just plain wrong. Moore has almost single handedly kept Fields in the QB conversation. Without him, Poles would absorbed picking a QB at #1 next spring.
Absolutely (spellcheck )
We’ll know the direction Poles goes the 2nd week of January. If Eberflus stays, I’m convinced Fields will too.
Poles is safe. People are just antsy the rebuild is coming along slower than expected but he has put a lot of foundational pieces in place considering draft position ie all the pass rushers we’re gone when we came to draft in round 2.
Obviously not getting a center and the claypool trades were blemishes.
The #1 pick trade last year was a home run as well as the Sweat trade this year. They’ve drafted some nice pieces in Brisker, Stevenson, and Gordon for there secondary. Darnell Wright at RT.
The extensions for sweat and kmet.
Now they need to extend jaylon and use their draft capital to continue building out this roster. Hopefully fields is the guy so we don’t need to use a top pick for a QB but if not then we’re in position to draft Williams or maye and trade fields for a 2nd
Poles has had one draft during the rebuild. It takes longer than that to rebuild a team from the ground up. Especially when you start with an awful offensive line like the Bears did. Fans need to show as much patience with Poles as they do with Fields. Fields has done nothing to prove he’s anything other than a very good athlete. His QB skills are below average.
If Poles drafts Williams I think that is what will doom him. Williams I think screams ‘bust’, especially after this season where ND cleaned his clock and that’s a college defense. Then there is the overemotional aspect to him, literally crying in his mothers arms after a loss to Washington. I mean really. Ill say this about Fields, I like his even keel attitude.. Not too up not too down.
I like Fields. O-H. However, I would use the top pick on Williams, then try to use Fields in a trade with their other first round pick to get back in the top two or three and take Harrison Jr. and maybe get a third or fourth rounder back. With Fields, they only have another year or two before he gets big money. With Williams, they would have four or five.
Williams got his clock cleaned by good college defenses and was literally crying in his arms to his mother after a loss.. Hard pass. While he could work out, he just screams ‘bust’ to me. The Bears are better either getting another QB at the top OR selecting MHJ and hoping that makes Fields, or whatever journeyman QB they do get (or maybe a QB they draft later), better.
Face it. Fields is another Marcus Mariota. He’ll look good one week and then miss wide open receivers all afternoon the next. The Bears still need a lot of pieces, so maybe they wait until after 2024 to cut him loose – especially given the fact that a couple good QBs are opting out of the upcoming draft and will be available in 2025.
Make sure you give Josh Dobbs his credit for that dominating 12-10 performance!
Make sure you give Josh Dobbs his credit
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Is the press still pushing him for MVP votes?
The choice has always been simple. If you decide to move on from Eberflus you draft a new QB and the #1 pick is a very attractive draw for a new HC. It doesn’t make much sense to have Fields play for a 3rd HC and OC in 4 years. It would just confuse him even more than he is already. You move him and take what you can get and reset the QB position. If you keep Eberflus then you keep Fields, Trade down and add more assets. Eberflus actually has the defense playing modern football and has figured out that putting pressure on the QB with blitzes and stunt might actually make the CB’s better. Even stone hands Johnson is making picks although he still drops as many as he makes. We always wondered what the secondary would look like with a pass rush and now we know. Not bad. For the first time in two years the Bears ARE actually looking like a competent football team. Is it enough for me to say Eberflus keeps his job, I’m not there yet at all. I’m not forgetting all the penalties, Bad coach hires, All the lies and quite a few embarrassing gaffes along the way. Warren and Poles need to do some deep sole searching the rest of the season and make a decision. The defense has some talent and so does the offense.They just need to keep adding. I think Poles has earned the right to stay, Eberflus…..IDK. Stay tuned.
If Poles likes his job and wants to keep it he will draft Caleb Williams. This conversation is very simple. If they don’t draft Williams and he comes into the league and plays at or around the level he is believed to be everyone is getting fired. Fields is 8-26 as a started and looks like a backup far more often than he shows flashes.
You mean the Caleb Williams who holds the ball for too long and is only 6’1″ (as measured in college)? That will get you crushed in the NFL. In my opinion he is closer to Kyler Murray than a Jalen Hurts at that size. I think he has a slightly better than 50/50 shot at being a top 10 QB which probably has more to do with his running ability. Statistically Fields is there already albeit with a lot of running help. So, do you build around a known at a higher cost or do you reset the clock on a maybe 50/50 of better talent with one less elite weapon around him? Fields’ record doesn’t mean much with no talent around him. The last few years don’t count against him in my mind. DJ Moore is having a career season which shows what Fields with an elite weapon can do. They now have the option to give him 2 with MHJ and continue to improve his OL. This is the toughest call any GM has had to make in a long time. I trust Poles to make the best educated one. He has hit on more than he has missed which is the sign of a competent GM. That still doesn’t mean he gets it 100% right, but with an improved roster quickly after a complete teardown I am willing to stick with his process.
Caleb Williams made many bad throws and held onto the ball too long because he felt he had to score 50 points a game because of the AWFUL USC defense. This is a reflection of his college team, not of his skills. He will be a much better QB than Fields and not just an “athlete”.
@Useless.. He also got destroyed by good defenses this season and literally cried in his mothers arms after a game.
“Lots of QBs perform at an All-Pro level when they have a terrible OL” said no one ever.
I’ve said it before the Bears O Line isn’t that bad. The problem is that Fields never steps up into the pocket. The Tackles are taught from day 1 to push their men by the QB on the outside. The problem is Fields is already fleeing like a prisoner from Alcatraz and runs right into the Edge that his guy is pushing right into him. It’s impossible to pass block for a guy when he’s not where he’s supposed to be. Jones above average but the Bears should really be looking to add another T in the draft either Alt or the guy from Penn St.. Borom stinks at T but might make a suitable G ala Jenkins. There’s talk going around that Ja’Tyre Carter can play C and if he can he should be doing it right now. These games should be about evaluating talent that’s here and worrying about next year, Not trying for some pie in the sky Playoff Berth that’s never gonna happen. Guys like Terrell Smith, Sewell, Stevenson, Kramer, Carter, Roschon Johnson, Scott should be getting tons of reps for evaluation. I don’t know what the beef is with Carter but every time I see him in the game he looks good to me. But then I see his grade for the game and he’s always the lowest grade on the offense. Whitehair, Patrick and Jackson all are past their sell by dates and will be gone next year( I certainly hope) and Johnson will probably get tagged. Even with the Cap raise and losing Whitehair and Jackson I figure they’ll have about 83 million to spend minus what it takes to sign Johnson( 20 Million?) So with Sweat and Johnson eating away about 45 million of the windfall they were supposed to have might not go as far as they think. Right now they only have 6 draft picks so far. They need to get more somehow.
The OL isn’t bad at all. Not sure where that comes from. Fields has good RBs, a decent TE, and good WRs. He still hasn’t proven he can throw the ball consistently or take command of games. He hits wide open WRs, great, but he hasnt shown he can thread the needle like great QBs do. Too many fumbles and sacks for a mobile QB. He hasn’t adapted from a 5 second read in college to a 2.5 second read in the NFL. You can blame the OC but who would trust Fields with complicated plays that require quicker decisions?
OL has gotten better, lets no forget how bad they were last season and the beginning of this season.
Fields has PTSD from this line being awful last season and most of this season.The main thing with Fields that I think is the issue, and not sure if its fixable, is that he needs to trust he can get the ball to the target, and that his receivers are going to be there to make the play. I think its easier for him to trust his legs than the other two things.
Poles should keep his job. He avoided Bryce young, anthony Richardson, and will levis(rumors were he was going 1 overall) he would of had to specifically draft Stroud. Maye and Caleb Williams are significantly better prospects you don’t pass up. Trade fields for a 2 somewhere many mediocre teams will want him. Atlanta, patriots, raiders, titans, Seahawks, bucs, saints. Raiders make the most sense a different conference and fields has said he hates playing in the cold so a dome team is ideal.
I also think Saleh and jets gm get a lot of flack for no reason. They have had no other options at qb.
They took Wilson, lawrence went 1 overall there draft so no shot there at him. Wilson went then lance then fields and mac jones. The next year was the Kenny Pickett year and last year they would of had to get stroud if they took any qb. They did the best they could Wilson didn’t pan out
I wonder how many writers actually watch football. I have been a bears fan for 50 years.I have seen it all when it comes to my Chicago Bears. We are so close right now with Justin Fields. Williams has shown exactly who he is against “good” college defenses. Looking like the average to above average QB realists know he is.We need to continue to open the playbook for Fields and add a Marvin Harrison Jr. to the offense. Another edge rusher An offensive left tackle and a safety. Or, trade Fields to a team who will exploit his skills and we “Bears fans and players can watch him in the playoffs with another team. We don’t need another 3-4 year reset hoping the next guy that’s supposed to be a sure thing isn’t another Ryan Leif.
Ryan Leaf had all the talent in the world who crapped it all away because he was a head case. There is no comparison here. Fields is not the answer.
Draft Caleb. PEriod.
Must be a Packers fan that wants the Bears to continue to be mediocre.. The guy got destroyed by good defenses and literally was crying in his mothers arms on the sideline after a loss.
I cannot see into the future, but guys like that scream ‘bust’ to me.
Everyone was screaming for Young to be in a Bears uniform as well.
Fields is not the long term answer.
Bears have an opportunity to kill it in this years draft/off season, but as history shows, it the Bears
I’m not sure this article aged particularly well. For all practical purposes, the Bears defense put 14 points on the board, and Fields and the rest of the offense scored the remaining three points.