Tag: bears quarterback

What Bears QB Justin Fields would make on his 5th-year option

Here’s what Justin Fields will make if his fifth-year option is picked up by the Bears — or someone else.

The clock is ticking on a decision regarding Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields, both when it comes to a possible trade as well as what to do with his fifth-year option. While we’re still a few weeks away from clarifying the former, the fifth-year option cost has been revealed.

On Friday, the NFL released the fifth-year option amounts for first-round picks from the 2021 NFL draft. They are broken out by position in four different tiers based on Pro Bowl accolades and playing time. Players who made multiple Pro Bowls will make the highest amount, followed by those who made one, then those who met the playing time requirement, and finally those who met none of the criteria.

Fields, the Bears’ 2021 first-round pick, is set to earn $25.664 million on the option in 2025. Fields fits in the third tier of players as he has yet to make a Pro Bowl but meets the criteria for snaps played during his three years in the league. The decision to pick up the option must be made by May 2, and it is fully guaranteed.

The financial commitment to Fields is just one of the factors that will determine his fate in Chicago. The Bears currently hold the No. 1 overall pick and could decide to select a quarterback to build around. It’s important to note that a quarterback picked first overall will have a cap hit of around $7.1 million in 2024, $8.9 million in 2025 and $10.6 million in 2026, for a total of approximately $26.5 million. These totals are slightly higher than the cap hits for Bryce Young, the 2023 first overall pick. The Bears can save quite a bit of money and spend their resources elsewhere to improve the team around a rookie QB.

The fifth-year option won’t impact the Bears or any team in 2024. Cap space isn’t a problem for them either, as they have approximately $80 million to spend. But it’s one of many factors that will help decide what Chicago plans to do at the quarterback position. With the NFL combine taking place next week, we’re getting closer and closer to knowing the answer.

Report: Bears QB Justin Fields won’t need surgery on injured thumb

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport has good news for the Bears quarterback.

Updates have been hard to come by when it comes to Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields and his dislocated thumb, but there was some good news that came out on Thursday evening.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Fields will not need surgery on his thumb, which likely shortens his recovery time. “No surgery is coming,” Rapoport said. “The key to when he can get back on the field is when he is able to grip the football.”

Fields dislocated his thumb during the Bears’ 19-13 loss against the Minnesota Vikings when he went down awkwardly on a hit outside of the pocket. Head coach Matt Eberflus didn’t have many updates on the quarterback’s status this week and wouldn’t rule anything out. But now that surgery is off the table, the prognosis looks better than it did earlier in the week. There is still no timetable for Fields’ return, however, and the third-year signal caller could still be out for a few weeks. Fields has 1,201 passing yards with 11 touchdowns and 6 interceptions on the year.

With Fields all but ruled out, undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent takes over at quarterback and will make his first career NFL start against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.

Bears QB Justin Fields is No. 86 on NFL Top 100 Players of 2023

Justin Fields was voted the No. 86 in the NFL’s Top 100 Players of 2023. It’s the first time a Bears quarterback has made the list.

For the first time ever, the Chicago Bears have a quarterback on the NFL’s Top 100 Players list. On Tuesday, the NFL announced the next wave of players in their Top 100 list of 2023 on NFL+, and Bears quarterback Justin Fields came in at No. 86 overall.

The list is made up by NFL players and it’s clear they have respect for Fields after an electric sophomore season. The Bears quarterback had one of the best outputs in NFL history for a running quarterback, rushing for 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns in 15 games. He broke multiple NFL records, most notably the single-game rushing record by a quarterback with 178 yards in Week 9 against the Miami Dolphins.

Though Fields didn’t have the passing stats that other quarterbacks have, throwing for just 2,242 yards and 17 touchdowns, he showed enough to the league to be considered for a spot. Fields was notably higher on the list than players such as Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, Detroit Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, and New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore.

Fields’ inclusion in the list isn’t the end-all, be-all when it comes to player success but it’s nice to see a Bears quarterback get that type of recognition. Fans were ecstatic when the news came out and some couldn’t believe Fields was higher than Lawrence.

Justin Fields credits Andy Dalton for being a mentor in 2021

Andy Dalton didn’t let an awkward quarterback situation get in the way of mentoring Justin Fields last season.

When Justin Fields was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the spring of 2021, it brought hope and optimism that the team had finally solved their dreadful quarterback woes after years of ineptitude. It also brought the potential for a very awkward situation with veteran Andy Dalton, who signed a one-year, $10 million deal to be the starter just a month and a half earlier. It turns out the two players not only navigated a rocky situation effectively, but became extremely close in the process.

Fields recently spoke with Barstool Sports’ Pardon My Take Podcast and discussed a variety of topics, including his and Dalton’s relationship through an uncertain time.

“Andy’s amazing,” Fields said. “I mean, even this year he was texting me after good games that I had and said ‘I saw your game. Great job bro.’ Just his family, his wife, his kids. They’re amazing. Andy and Nick [Foles] they taught me a lot last year just with the life of being an NFL quarterback and he kind of took me under his wing. I’m definitely very appreciative of that and I wish Andy nothing but the best of luck.”

Fields went on to explain that Dalton was able to look past any potential awkwardness with the impending quarterback controversy and be there for the rookie when he needed it.

“He’s always been great to me. Always seen the bigger picture, not really getting that confusion,” Fields said. “Just the situation we were in last year, not getting in the way with our relationship. Always kept it cordial with me and was kind of a big brother to me.”

The situation Fields mentions was the inevitable passing of the torch. Dalton was a stop gap and Fields was the future. It only took two weeks for that to get into motion when Dalton went down with an injury in the Bears’ Week 2 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, with Fields getting the start in his place in Week 3 against the Cleveland Browns. Despite the horrific offensive showing, the Bears committed to Fields for the season and Dalton’s assurances of being the starter were all gone.

Dalton didn’t owe Fields anything and might have felt slighted by him or the team for their decision to move up for a quarterback. Dalton started just six games in 2021, throwing for 1,515 yards with eight touchdowns and nine interceptions during his lone season in Chicago. Fields officially took over as the top quarterback and Dalton signed with the New Orleans Saints last offseason as a backup but wound up starting 14 games.

Though their time together was short, Dalton clearly made a lasting impact on Fields, giving him a needed mentor at a critical time. Perhaps that makes the signing and “QB1” tweets all worth it.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbve7kb6he6scwe player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=]

10 facts about Bears No. 11 overall draft pick QB Justin Fields

The Chicago Bears drafted former Ohio State QB Justin Fields with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. Here are 10 facts about the pick.

The Chicago Bears won’t give up on quarterback, no matter how badly the Mitchell Trubisky experiment turned out.

The Monsters of the Midway used their No. 11 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, a pick obtained in a trade with the New York Giants, to take former Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields.

Here are 10 facts surrounding the Bears’ selection of Fields.

David Carr believes Bears are among prime landing spots for Matthew Stafford

The Bears are expected to be big players in the QB market this offseason, and David Carr believes Matthew Stafford would be a good fit.

[jwplayer g7nyqALO]

It’s no surprise that the Chicago Bears are expected to be big players in the quarterback market this offseason. Not for a franchise that has had one franchise quarterback in a century. Especially not for a franchise whose general manager and head coach are banking on a quarterback saving their jobs beyond 2021.

There are several avenues the Bears can take in locking down a quarterback from free agency to the NFL draft to the trade market. And it appears that are going to be a couple of prime quarterbacks on the trade block this offseason, including Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford.

NFL.com’s David Carr believes the Bears are one of six teams that are prime landing spots for Stafford. He says Chicago would probably have to give up two first-round picks to get it done.

Stafford donning a Bears uniform is hard to picture, and I’m not sure Detroit would trade within the NFC North. The Lions know Stafford, and playing against him twice each year doesn’t seem like something they’d welcome. Nonetheless, Stafford would fit well into the Bears’ offensive scheme and (finally) provide the Bears with consistent QB play — something pending free agent Mitchell Trubisky hasn’t been able to do. Making an upgrade at quarterback could allow the Bears to keep talented receiver Allen Robinson from signing elsewhere as a free agent and potentially bring in more offensive help. 

Projected to be $10.7 million over the cap and not exactly in possession of a bounty of picks in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft, the Bears might need to get creative if they want to snag the QB. I, for one, would approve trading Khalil Mack back to the Raiders for a first-rounder, which would fall right into play for the Stafford trade. No, but seriously, GM Ryan Pace is under a lot of pressure this offseason to get this Bears team ready to win, and he’ll have to make a good amount of moves to make that happen. Let’s just hope he makes the right ones.

Hypothetically speaking, Stafford on the Bears would make them contenders for the NFC North and the postseason. Especially with a defense that’s primed to return to the scheme that made it a success in 2018.

But the Bears are tied to a decreasing salary cap, which means that it would take some real creativity from Pace to make cap space for the likes of Stafford. Not to mention Nick Foles, who is the only quarterback under contract with the Bears in 2021, is costing $21 million guaranteed.

Sure, it sounds ridiculous. Why would the Lions trade Stafford to one of their divisional rivals? But just about anyone can be bought for the right price. And Pace, who is pretty desperate with his job on the line in 2021, might just be willing to pay it.

[listicle id=466863]

What is the worst-case scenario for Bears at quarterback in 2021?

The Bears aren’t in an idea situation at quarterback heading into the offseason, and it sounds like it’ll be Nick Foles in 2021.

[jwplayer g7nyqALO]

For the better part of a century, the Chicago Bears have dealt with quarterback mediocrity. It’s been the reason for the offense’s struggles over the years, and certainly a reason why Chicago’s outlook in 2021 is murky at best.

The Bears aren’t in an idea situation at quarterback heading into the offseason. Nick Foles remains the only quarterback under contract in 2021 and Mitchell Trubisky is likely headed on his way out of Chicago.

Pro Football Focus examined the best-case scenario at quarterback for the Bears, which includes them drafting Alabama’s Mac Jones. But they also examined the worst-case scenario, which is more along the lines of what Bears fans are expecting.

Here’s what PFF had to say about why sticking with Foles is the worst-case scenario for the Bears in 2021.

If all of the top five quarterbacks are off the board by the time Chicago is picking at No. 20 — a very real possibility — then it’s time to press the panic button. That is assuming nothing is done via trade or in free agency, neither of which is likely. This would mean the Bears are left with just Nick Foles, and we all know that experiment did not work. And if Allen Robinson II signs elsewhere in this same scenario, the Bears are destined to field one of the worst, if not the worst, passing offenses in the NFL.

Chicago’s gamble with Foles — which included trading a fourth-round pick and a ton of guaranteed money — didn’t pay off. Foles went 2-5 as a starter, and the offense was incapable of producing much on the ground or through the air.

But with Foles owed $21 million in guaranteed money, the Bears are stuck with him. The only question is: Who will join Foles on the roster in 2021?

With general manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy’s job security on life support, the Bears need to make a splash at quarterback this offseason. That’ll likely come through the draft, but they’re in a tough situation sitting with the 20th overall pick.

It wouldn’t be a surprise for Pace to take another swing at a franchise quarterback, but there’s a chance that a developmental guy is in the cards for Chicago. That would leave the Bears with Foles at quarterback in 2020, which isn’t exactly ideal given how last season panned out.

[listicle id=466863]

Bears expected to be ‘big players’ in quarterback market this offseason

With Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy’s jobs on the line, it’s no surprise the Bears are expected to make a splash at quarterback this offseason.

No one is stuck in quarterback purgatory quite like the Chicago Bears, who have had one franchise quarterback in the last century and missed out on two franchise guys back in 2017.

Inconsistent quarterback play from Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles was one of the biggest struggles for this offense last season. While quarterback has been an issue for decades, there’s nothing like job security to not only make you reevaluate but take action.

This might come as a surprise, but the Bears are expected to be “big players” in the quarterback market this offseason, according to Jay Glazer. Shocker.

It’s not really a surprise to hear that the Bears are aiming to make a splash at quarterback. After all, general manager Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy’s jobs beyond 2021 literally depend on it.

Free agency doesn’t really present a ton of options better than Trubisky — unless the Dallas Cowboys somehow let Dak Prescott walk. And with the Bears stuck with Foles for the next two years, it makes sense that Chicago would aim to draft another young quarterback to develop behind him.

It’s not likely that top-tier quarterbacks will still be around when pick No. 20 rolls around, which means Pace could be trading up again to grab his guy, take two.

While the NFL world is in a tizzy about the Deshaun Watson tension with the Houston Texans — and possible trade rumors — it’s not likely that the Bears land the Pro Bowler. After all, Chicago doesn’t have the draft capital that some other suitors do, and Watson’s no-trade clause would allow him to ultimately decide where he’d wind up.

If the Bears were to land Watson, it would be a career-defining move for Pace, one that would likely save his and Nagy’s jobs. If the Bears draft a young guy, Pace and Nagy could essentially buy themselves another year or two when it comes to developing him. But if they’re relying on Foles once again, it’ll likely spell the end of their tenures in Chicago.

While there are a ton of uncertainties surrounding the quarterback position this offseason, one thing is for certain: The Bears remain in quarterback purgatory with no end in sight.

[listicle id=466491]

Bears QB odds for 2021 look promising for those who want change

The Chicago Bears have high odds to have a different starting quarterback next season, someone outside of the current quarterback room.

After 4 years in the Mitchell Trubisky era, it looks like the Chicago Bears will part ways with him during the offseason. During an end-of-year press conference this week with Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy, they expressed how the quarterback play was a key factor to the lack of success this season. Instead of putting blame on Coach Nagy or Nick Foles, who was 2-5 as a starter, most of the blame fell on Trubisky’s shoulders.

Later on in the week, George McCaskey had this to say about Trubisky:

“He’s an outstanding young man. His teammates loves him. He works his butt off. He loves the game of football. Off the field, he was outstanding as a representative of the Bears.”

For starters, if the Bears cannot find another quarterback during the offseason, they could find themselves in some trouble. I’m sure Trubisky and his agent watched what Nagy and Pace had to say this past week. Neither one of them have to be happy after hearing what the team had to say.

Trubisky’s teammate Cordarrelle Patterson has called for Deshaun Watson to come to Chicago on Twitter. This is something Patterson did last season, tweeting at players asking them to come to Chicago. This time, it’s a quarterback. So much for Patterson having Trubisky’s back.

During the last three seasons, Trubisky has taken blame for every loss. For every win during the last three years was because of how well the defense played. There’s been a lack of appreciation for him. I guess a 25-13 record with two playoff appearances wasn’t good enough.

Going forward, it looks like the Bears will make a change at quarterback. According to FanDuel, Trubisky has -225 odds of playing for a new team next season. Teams brought up in that same article were the Jets, Patriots, and Washington.

SportsLine has different odds for the quarterback position. According to them, the Bears Week 1 starter will be:

  • A current NFL QB via trade or a free agent -200
  • Nick Foles +300
  • 2021 NFL Draft pick +750
  • Mitchell Trubisky +1000

It seems like fans are split on social media. A lot of them are looking for a change, some of them want Trubisky back as a bridge quarterback and another group wants him back, but without Nagy as his coach.

The Bears are also in the Watson sweepstakes. They have the fifth best odds to land him (+550), with the Texans having the best, as he is already on their team.

Fans will have more of an idea after the Super Bowl. Here’s the official offseason schedule for the NFL.

[listicle id=466221]

 

Matt Nagy, Ryan Pace hint at what to expect from Bears at QB in 2021

One thing was made abundantly clear during Wednesday’s press conference with Pace and Nagy: Mitchell Trubisky won’t be a Bear in 2021.

[jwplayer hXjRgQld-ThvAeFxT]

One thing was made abundantly clear during Wednesday’s press conference featuring Bears general manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy: Mitchell Trubisky won’t be a Bear in 2021.

Which, to be honest, is good for all parties involved. Trubisky has a chance for a fresh start while Pace and Nagy have a chance to distance themselves from Trubisky with an eye toward the future.

Only, that future also involves Nick Foles, who the Bears traded for last offseason. Foles is under contract for two more seasons, and barring a trade, Chicago is bound to him financially.

And listening to Pace and Nagy talk about how well Foles handled everything in his first season with the Bears, it sounds like we’re up for another season of Foles, as well as another quarterback that they choose to bring in, whether that’s a veteran or a rookie or even both.

“With Foles specifically, as we look at that, and I reflect on him and that move and he’s under contract for us, I respect the way he handled a lot of adversity this year, not just for himself in the quarterback room,” Pace said. “He was a leader in the room as a starter or as a backup. And I think you go back to when he was playing and there were some things that, in fairness to him, the offensive line was a little unsettled and the run game wasn’t quite where we wanted it to be. And then unfortunately he got injured. So I think there’s still some evaluation left out there on him.”

Foles’ first season with the Bears wasn’t what Nagy and Pace envisioned. In seven starts (and one half), Foles posted a 2-5 record. He completed 64.74% of his passes for 1,852 yards with 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions for a 80.8 passer rating.

“I do appreciate the way that Nick handled the entire season and it wasn’t easy,” Nagy said. “And we learned as we went through that thing, just how we work as coaches, how he works as a player. I know there’s all the talk about the connections that we all had together at different times in Nick’s career, and he grew a lot from when I had him as a rookie in 2012 to as a backup in Kansas City in 2016 to other coaches on staff that had him in different areas.

“You go back and you say when we ended up making the move for him, you look at that we weren’t able to have that offseason, which I do believe would have helped in a lot of different ways for him because things are different. You just can’t connect Kansas City and Philadelphia and say it’s the same offense. You can’t do that. But there’s a growing process there. I think that as we look at his situation, just like Ryan said, he went through and battled his tail off in regards to doing a lot of good things for us. And is there areas where he could improve? Absolutely. Are there areas we can improve as a coaching staff to help him? Yes.”

Ultimately, Foles was a disappointment. But Pace and Nagy are putting their faith behind Foles heading into 2021. Whether that’s genuine or not remains to be seen. After all, at this time last season, Leonard Floyd and Adam Shaheen were praised. And look how that panned out.

It’s clear that the Bears seem primed to make a move at quarterback this offseason — again — and it’ll likely come via the 2021 NFL Draft. Although the thought of Pace getting another chance to draft a franchise quarterback is one that inspires little confidence.

“We talk about the quarterback position and how critical that is to any team’s success and we understand that,” Pace said. “And that’s why it will be a big focus of us and a big decision for us.”

[listicle id=466193]