The Chicago Bears have made their message clear since the end of the draft. They have a plan at quarterback. It involves a simple formula. Andy Dalton will be the starter in 2021 until such a time where he no longer deserves the job. At that point, 1st round pick Justin Fields will see his first action. Either that or the rookie will enter the lineup when it becomes overwhelmingly evident that he not just ready but an obvious upgrade to Dalton.
Plenty of people don’t agree with this decision. What is the point of stringing this out? Fields is obviously the superior talent. He’s already got plenty of big-game experience from his time at Ohio State. Forget this charade. Just get the kid out there and let him learn through live-action. Is that truly the best thing for him though? It depends on who you ask. There is no definitive way to develop a rookie quarterback.
Not everybody is against it though.
Tedy Bruschi saw some pretty good quarterback play during his long career with the New England Patriots. The two-time All-Pro won three Super Bowls with the organization and played in two others. So what does he make of the Bears’ plan to sit Justin Fields? He explained on ESPN’s Get Up program that it is a perfectly sound strategy. This isn’t about holding the kid back. It’s about buying him as much time as possible to prepare.
Bruschi knows what he’s talking about. He knows a certain quarterback who had to wait patiently on the bench for his opportunity too. His name was Tom Brady. People forget Brady sat his entire first season in New England. Then when he entered in place of the injured Drew Bledsoe in 2001, he was ready. The Patriots went 11-3 with him under center and won their first Super Bowl title. While they may not have planned to start Brady at all, this still offered proof that giving him a year to figure out the NFL challenges was beneficial.
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Every week bought for Justin Fields is a good thing
That is one week he can spend further grasping the offense and the speed of the pro level from the safety of the sidelines. If the Bears were to chuck him out there immediately, then he’d been taking his lesson the hard way. With the hits to go with it. The idea is to let him learn without taking the physical punishment. Once Matt Nagy feels his grasp of the system is as good as it’ll get without playing time, the decision will be made.
Bruschi said it best. Even if Dalton only bought the Bears a month of extra time, it would still be highly beneficial for Justin Fields. That is four extra weeks he’ll have to eat up that playbook. Given all the stories of his intelligence, another month would be a boon. People are left wondering when the switch will ultimately come. That depends on Dalton. If he’s playing well and the team is competitive, Nagy won’t feel any pressure to make a switch.
If things start going south?
Then plans will change. As always, the results on the field dictate changes off it. Fields’ elevation could happen as early as the beginning of October or not take place until next season. This regime has made it clear. It depends on Dalton. They’re giving him the opportunity they promised. It falls to him to make the most of it. Mike Glennon failed to capitalize back in 2017. Maybe this time will be different.