There’s been no indication that the Bears intend to move on from quarterback Justin Fields this offseason. Any yet, it’s a topic of conversation that’s already dominated the offseason.
With Chicago in possession of the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft, some believe the Bears could choose to move on from Fields and start anew with a young prospect in this draft class, be it Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud or Will Levis.
While Bears GM Ryan Poles didn’t rule out the possibility, he did say he’d have to be “blown away” to choose a quarterback with the first pick. Translation: Fields most likely isn’t going anywhere.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer is the latest to echo the belief that the Bears will choose to stick with Fields and look to trade the No. 1 pick, which is the general consensus.
“My sense is that they’re going to move forward with Justin Fields and try to trade the first pick,” Breer said on the Rich Eisen Show, via NBC Sports Chicago. “Could that change based on their evaluation of Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Will Levis, Anthony Richardson? Sure. But I’ve talked to enough people there that feel like Justin didn’tー there wasn’t enough around Justin to get a really clean evaluation on him last year, and given what he had, what he did was really, really impressive.”
Considering the less-than-ideal circumstances for Fields in his second season — a lack of a supporting cast and learning his second offense in as many years — it made what Fields accomplished even more impressive.
Fields emerged as one of the league’s most electrifying players, particularly with his elite athleticism. Fields rushed for 1,143 yards, falling 64 yards shy of breaking Lamar Jackson’s single-season rushing record. But things weren’t as good in the passing game. Fields was also sacked 55 times in 15 games, which was among the most in the league.
But perhaps most impressive was how Fields grew into his leadership role on the team. He was voted a team captain and really embraced the role. That starts with not complaining about his situation and leading by example.
“We’ve heard about the friction and b****ing from Mac Jones, and everything else,” Breer said. “Did we hear one word from Justin Fields complaining about his circumstances? No. So I think that there is an appreciation not only for how Justin played, how he put his body on the line, but also how he handled all of it. He kind of had a square jaw about the whole thing. Like, ‘I’m taking the responsibility here because I am the franchise quarterback,’ and I think that scored him a lot of points with people in that organization.”
I think we all know Fields is going to be the Bears quarterback in 2023. But, if anything, perhaps the speculation will help drive up the price for the No. 1 pick.
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