Let’s get this out of the way immediately. Justin Fields is the starting quarterback of the Chicago Bears. That is not going to change. The next 15 games belong solely to him and nobody else as they should. However, people are already making assumptions that he is also locked in as the guy in 2023. Many presume the Bears will spend that off-season throwing resources at the offense to help him. This could be 100% true, but that would be ignoring the facts.
Currently, Fields doesn’t look anything close to a franchise quarterback. Yes, he’s an excellent talent, but the problem is NFL defenses can account for great athletes at the position these days. Good quarterbacks are required to beat teams from the pocket. It was painfully evident through the first two weeks that Fields couldn’t do that. He escaped criticism in Week 1 against San Francisco because of the atrocious weather. Week 2 in Green Bay exposed just how big the problem is.
Throwing for 70 yards in a modern NFL game is hard to do.
What made it worse was that one can’t blame the coaching or the supporting cast. The offensive line protection wasn’t great, but it was serviceable. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy also did a good job getting wide receivers open. Fields just couldn’t find them to save his life. He never looked comfortable in the pocket and didn’t trust what he saw. That is why he held the ball too long.
He still doesn’t trust the rhythm and timing of plays. Fields had the luxury of guys being wide open all the time at Ohio State. He could afford to wait. Open in the NFL is different. These problems witnessed in Green Bay were present last year too. According to Jeff Hughes of Da Bears Blog, the team brass of GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus aren’t panicking yet. They believe in Fields’ potential. That said, neither of them can be called totally bought in on the young quarterback.
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With Fields, many believed he just needed some weapons to become top QB. Poles & Flus did NOT believe that. That’s why you’ve never heard them call him a “franchise” QB.
Can he be one? Yes! But I’d like to see him first be consistently good, before we entertain him being great.
— DaBearsBlog (@dabearsblog) September 20, 2022
They think he’s a player with tremendous potential. They love the kid. But if his clock doesn’t speed up on the field, he’s got very little chance to succeed. There were plays to be made Sunday night. He didn’t make them. https://t.co/tUAgklJKXy
— DaBearsBlog (@dabearsblog) September 20, 2022
Heard this from multiple people. Nobody pushing panic button but pressure will increase on Fields not because he struggled, but because of the nature of those struggles. https://t.co/jHYotYK4HV
— DaBearsBlog (@dabearsblog) September 21, 2022
Justin Fields was not drafted by the people currently running the Bears. They’re not going to give him 50 games, and risk their careers. He needs to show something this year. https://t.co/PaBeMvMfbN
— DaBearsBlog (@dabearsblog) September 21, 2022
This regime owes Justin Fields nothing.
That is something many Bears fans don’t want to acknowledge. Poles and Eberflus had no hand in drafting Fields. Their commitment to him runs no deeper than an evaluation period. Both like the talent, but neither went so far as to say he’s their guy moving forward. Everything points to them seeing Fields as a project. An outstanding talent with evident flaws. There were multiple opportunities on Sunday night for him to flip the momentum with big plays. He missed them almost every time.
Oh no, @adamjahns wasn't kidding — EQB comes wide open on 3rd & 9, Fields doesn't pull the trigger. Ouch. pic.twitter.com/R0TrN8pGnf
— Robert Schmitz (@robertkschmitz) September 19, 2022
Justin Fields is tough. Nobody disputes that. He also works very hard. Those are excellent traits for a quarterback. He still has 15 games left to become more comfortable and confident in this offense. The Bears will give it to him. However, people must recognize a fundamental truth. Suppose he still looks like the player we saw at Lambeau Field by late November or early December. In that case, the organization must discuss the quarterback position next off-season.
Some people won’t like that.
They believe Fields is essentially a rookie again because of the new offense. The thing is, experience is experience. He’s played in 14 games already. There should be signs of progress regardless of the scheme he’s in. Good quarterbacks show flashes even under challenging circumstances. While Fields has pulled off some excellent improvisational moments, his polish as a pocket passer remains disturbingly subpar. Poles and Eberflus won’t ignore that forever.
