The Chicago Bears came into the 2021 NFL draft knowing one thing above all. They had to get a quarterback. Andy Dalton wasn’t their future. The stink of Mitch Trubisky still lingered in Halas Hall. GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy felt there was only one way out. Find a way to get one of the top five QBs in the 1st round. After a maddening first 10 picks, the Bears found a way to make it happen.
In a trade with the New York Giants, the Bears jumped to the #11 overall pick and secured their guy of the future in the former of Justin Fields of Ohio State. This young man has a case for the most talented quarterback in the entire draft. A 6’3 frame with a live arm and 4.41 speed. He can throw with accuracy and played consistently good football in two years as the Buckeyes starter. It’s a bold move, but one that had to happen.
#Bears are selecting Ohio State QB Justin Fields with the 11th overall pick.
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) April 30, 2021
The Bears are trading the 20th pick, a 2021 fifth-round pick, a 2022 first-round pick and a 2022 fourth-round pick to the Giants for the 11th overall pick.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) April 30, 2021
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Fields has a lot to prove.
Many felt he would be the second quarterback taken in this draft. After a few months, he ended up not only being the fourth but even fell out of the top 10. That is the sort of thing that can put a chip on a guy’s shoulder. He played some really good football at Ohio State, carrying them to the national championship game this past year. There isn’t anything he can’t do physically.
Teams are wary of him for two primary reasons. The questions about his ability to process defenses quickly and the fact he’s coming from Ohio State. That college has a long track record of producing disappointing quarterbacks. It’s a fair concern. At the same time, none of them were as talented as Fields. As for the processor? Plenty of college QBs have the same issue. It remains to be seen if he’ll speed it up over time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOS3YXI6zBY&ab_channel=quarterback
Chicago Bears fans have reasons to be excited with Fields
He is the most talented quarterback the franchise has ever selected. That isn’t a joke. He’s more gifted than Mitch Trubisky was four years ago and far more than Rex Grossman, Cade McNown, Jim Harbaugh, or Jim McMahon. The best part is the Bears don’t have to rush him. With Andy Dalton in place, they have a solid veteran bridge who can run the offense for now while Fields gets to learn from him on the sideline. Similar to what the Kansas City Chiefs did with Alex Smith and Patrick Mahomes in 2017.
Is Fields going to be a star? There is no way to know that. Picking quarterbacks is always difficult. Few organizations know this better than the Chicago Bears. Half the battle though is talent. This kid has it. What it comes down to is whether he has the intelligence, drive, and competitiveness to be great. Plenty of people who have worked with him and watched up close believe he is going to be a stud. Time will tell.
For the time being, fans have reasons to feel excited.
Fields has All-Pro potential. He also now has the feeling of being slighted by the NFL. That only works further in the Bears’ favor. The only better than a talented QB is one who is pissed off. It will be fascinating to see him develop over the months to come. Hopefully the Bears handle him correctly. One can imagine the rest of their draft will be focused on giving him as much help as possible.