Justin Fields hasn’t played any significant downs yet in the NFL. Even so, his presence was still felt as he scored a touchdown in his first-ever game despite playing only five snaps. Many believe he is destined for big things whenever he does become the starter for the Chicago Bears. Are certain people questioning the decision to pass on him even this early? Maybe not in actual front offices, but certainly in the media.
Max Kellerman has been an analyst for ESPN going back several years. The New York native is a loyal Giants fan. So these past few years have been pretty rough for him. One of the primary topics of discussion remains the situation with Daniel Jones. The former 6th overall pick hasn’t exactly lived up to his draft billing since arriving in 2019. With the Giants holding the 11th overall pick in this past draft, Kellerman and others were hoping the team might consider a change.
Obviously, that didn’t happen.
New York stuck with Jones. In fact, they doubled down on him by trading down in the 1st round and grabbing a wide receiver in Kadarius Toney. Kellerman isn’t happy about that. Especially after Jones had another of his trademark ugly turnovers in the opening day loss to the Denver Broncos. So when appearing on the Keenan, JWill, & Max program, he made it clear he’s done with the 24-year old. He feels the Giants blew a huge opportunity by not escaping when they had the chance. Particularly when Fields fell right into their laps.
Is Kellerman being unfair? Well, yes and no. Jones has absolutely not played up to expectations the past two years. However, the Giants being 0-2 to start this season is not his fault. He played a good game against a really good Washington defense on Thursday Night Football. One of his best in a long time. It remains possible he might yet develop into a capable QB if he keeps playing like that. Still, if Fields ends up becoming what many expect? The decision to hand him to the Bears in that trade may go down in Giants draft infamy.
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Justin Fields time might be approaching
Bears fans are growing eager to see the 11th overall pick in action. Yet head coach Matt Nagy remains adamant that the team won’t deviate from the play. That is to start Andy Dalton until the team is 100% certain Fields is ready. That means understanding the offense, knowing what he’s seeing from the defense, and not getting overwhelmed by the speed of the NFL. A lot of people aren’t happy about that, including some inside Halas Hall itself.
There is a growing belief that Justin Fields will take over the job sooner rather than later. Most are circling weeks four to six as the likeliest area on the calendar. Much of how it goes will depend on what happens this weekend against the Cincinnati Bengals. If Dalton has another snoozer of a game and the offense can’t score points? Then the already loud cries for Fields will grow deafening.
This isn’t a Mitch Trubisky situation.
Back in 2017, the Bears had the right idea sitting the #2 overall pick. He’d only started one season at North Carolina and was still raw. After Mike Glennon crumbled during the first four games, the team had no choice but to throw him out there. Fields is considerably more experienced than Trubisky was and far more proven in big games. He might not be 100% ready, but he is more ready than several rookies usually are.