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Justin Fields is the present and future of Chicago Bears football.
The Carolina Panthers’ decision to fire head coach Frank Reich less than one year into his tenure on Monday, plus Chicago’s 12-10 victory over the Minnesota Vikings, only punctuated the nature of the situation and what path the Bears organization should undertake.
It doesn’t entail another restart at the game’s most important position.
As Monday’s contest ensued, the upcoming decision Chicago faces about Fields’ future in contrast with the Bears owning two premium draft selections thanks to the Bryce Young deal became a hot topic during the ESPN telecast. It really shouldn’t be.
Yes, the Bears currently own next year’s No. 1 overall pick, courtesy of the Panthers, who are worse off today than they were before they invested in their new franchise quarterback.
Chicago is positioned well to take its preferred quarterback prospect if it chooses to do so. The move resets the clock and gets the team back to square one, though. Whereas, the Bears can take the most prudent path by continuing to build around a talented signal-caller, picking up his fifth-year rookie option this offseason and avoiding a similar disaster to the one currently in Charlotte.
While the Bears afforded Fields two-plus years on developmental time, what the front office led by Ryan Poles hasn’t effectively accomplished is properly building around the 2021 11th overall draft pick. To be fair, Poles didn’t trade up to select Fields. Ryan Pace did.
However, Monday’s outcome is a microcosm for how the Bears took multiple wrong steps when trying to maximize a young quarterback’s potential. Some will look at Fields’ meager passing effort and two fumbles and shout from the rooftops that he’s not the guy when the opposite should happen.
Fields was hamstrung by an impotent offensive scheme that didn’t challenge the Vikings down the field, relied far too heavily on screens, barely did anything more than extended handoffs masquerading as pass attempts and saw a quarterback trying to take too much on his shoulders once again when the game was on the line.
Kyle Yates @KyleYNFL
Ladies and gentlemen, it’s here.
The Justin Fields passing chart from MNF against the Minnesota Vikings. pic.twitter.com/254BCuIvdB
According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Fields “completed 14 of 16 attempts behind the line of scrimmage, both career highs.”
Ultimately, the final drive showed a little more aggressiveness when absolutely necessary, with Fields ripping a 36-yard pass to D.J. Moore. But the rest of the flaws are glaringly obvious.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Panthers fired Reich under the belief “they are trying to help Bryce Young.” If this explanation sounds counterintuitive, it’s because it is. Stability, consistency and a quality surrounding cast are necessary to facilitate a first-round quarterback finding his groove.
Maybe the Panthers luck into a good hire and Young takes off under the new direction. Right now, he faces significant changes with his head coach and quarterbacks coach gone. He’ll need to deal with a new staff, new system and new philosophies before spending a full year in the league.
Meanwhile, Fields has been continually placed in a situation where he’s most of, if not all, the Bears offense. Since Poles took over as general manager, his biggest acquisitions have mainly come on defense.
During his first offseason as general manager, the Bears biggest free-agent investments were for defensive tackle Justin Jones and defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad, who is no longer with the team. Then, Chicago used its top two draft picks on defensive backs.
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Fast forward a year, Poles spend $123 million in total contractual value on linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards, defensive lineman Demarcus Walker and edge-rusher Yannick Ngakoue. Comparatively, the offensive signings of guard Nate Davis, running back D’Onta Foreman and tight end Robert Tonyan Jr. amounted to $34.7 million.
Chicago did draft right tackle Darnell Wright with the 10th overall pick, only to then take three straight defensive prospects with its next three selections.
Furthermore, Poles continued to spend exorbitantly on the defense, with the acquisition of Montez Sweat at the trade deadline. The 27-year-old defensive end then signed a contract extension worth $98 million in total value.
Obviously, the Bears made moves on the offensive side of the ball with a couple already mentioned. Moore came in as part of the Young trade. Chase Claypool became another trade acquisition, though his addition quickly turned into a bust. The right side of the offensive line has been rebuilt.
Even with those moves, it’s easy to see where the emphasis lies when it comes to current regime. In the end, this approach could waste a significant talent behind center, which is exactly why the Bears must do what’s best for Fields by finally making life easier on him.
With six weeks left to play, Chicago currently owns the first and fourth overall draft picks. Those selections are golden to everything the organization can build in the short and long term.
A quarterback—whether it’s North Carolina’s Drake Maye or USC’s Caleb Williams—will almost certainly go No. 1 overall in the 2024 NFL draft. The Bears don’t need to select one. But they can use that selection and continue to trade down, thus creating a cascading effect for future years.
The Bears potentially landed next year’s top pick because of this year’s deal. They can add an extra first-round pick or two for 2025 and beyond by making the same move two years in row. Those extra selections, likely including a second rounder to recoup what the team lost in the Sweat trade, should be used to find play-makers at complementary positions.
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As an example, the New England Patriots appear to have moved on from Mac Jones after benching him for the second straight game. Bill Belichick and Co. currently own the third overall pick. By swapping those selections, the Patriots can upgrade at quarterback, while the Bears get value in return and remain in position to select someone like Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
Or, Chicago can move down a little further, as it did in the Carolina scenario, and target a different weapon such as Florida State’s Keon Coleman, Washington’s Rome Odunze or LSU’s Malik Nabers. Whatever the case, a serious downfield threat is necessary for the Bears offense to finally take flight.
Poles has extra flexibility because of his squad’s other top-four selection. In that instance, the team can stand pat and complete the offensive line by plucking Penn State’s Olu Fashanu or Notre Dame’s Joe Alt.
The talent behind center is obvious. Chicago must finally do what’s necessary to make its offense a true threat.
A group with talented bookend tackles, Moore and Mooney joined by Harrison, Coleman, Odunze or Nabers, a backfield featuring Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson and tight end Cole Kmet being led by Fields, plus extra draft picks, is far more exciting than the alternative.
Poles has no more excuses. The Bears general manager must finally do what’s necessary to help Fields succeed. In doing so, Chicago will be far better off overall.
Brent Sobleski covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @brentsobleski.
