When meeting with reporters following Wednesday’s minicamp practice, Bears head coach Matt Nagy took the time to lay it all out about the quarterback situation. This after back-to-back days of questioning about the depth chart. And he expects the questions to continue, which is why he made it clear that the plan is to develop Justin Fields as the No. 2 quarterback behind starter Andy Dalton.
“There will be a process and a plan,” Nagy told reporters Wednesday. “We will stick to that. That plan is not going to change tomorrow. The plan is not going to change in training camp. The plan is a plan and it’s been thought out.”
Given Nagy is intent on replicating the Kansas City model the Chiefs ran with Patrick Mahomes — to rest him during his rookie year and let him develop behind a veteran — there are certainly going to be questions about Fields’ pace compared with Mahomes. Even though it’s unfair to make the comparison in the first place.
While we’re very early on into the developmental process, Nagy explained that Fields is at a similar place in his development compared to Mahomes during veteran minicamp in 2017.
“I would say with Patrick at this point of time in vet minicamp to where Justin is, is great,” Nagy said. “Their personalities, football-wise, football IQ, all of that stuff is very similar on that side. Their actual personalities are a little bit different but that’s the beauty of life. We all have different personalities. I just think that right now for Justin, the biggest thing is to make sure that he’s continuing to just really listen and just get better, and then probably just keep asking the right questions, and I think he’s doing that more and more as he feels comfortable.”
Nagy made it clear Tuesday that there’s no scenario where Fields will supplant Dalton as the starting quarterback for Week 1. Well, almost no scenario. If Dalton were to get injured, Fields would assume the starting duties, as a back-up quarterback does.
“I would say this, when you are the No. 2 quarterback and in that situation that you are presenting to me, then yes, he would be the guy,” Nagy said. “But when you talk through this that is where it’s like, these quarterbacks, all three guys, just because they are in that spot right now, we have explained, and I have specifically explained to each of those guys that you are doing everything you possibly can to be as competitive as possible and be the starting quarterback and be the best quarterback you can be for the Bears.
“So I’m taking a little bit of time here to say this because I know these questions can go on and on each and every day, but out of politeness from me and respect as we go here moving forward, I’m just going to, like I’ll give you updates as we go as to how the guys are doing but as far as the depth chart goes this is where we are at with Andy as the 1, with Justin as the 2 and Nick as the 3. But all three of those guys know that you need to produce, you need to play well, you need to compete, you need to be the best quarterback you can be and then it’s going to be really pretty easy for us to see who that is and how that goes… But to go back to your original question, if that was the case, then yes, Justin would be our starter.”
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