Justin Fields still has plenty of defenders in the media and among the Chicago Bears fanbase. That isn’t a surprise. He has some impressive moments. There are games where he looks like a genuine star. His problem has always been that you never know when or if that version of him will show up. People believe the best course of action is to fire the coaching staff and start over, preferably with somebody who can mold a system to Fields’ strengths. Meanwhile, GM Ryan Poles can continue building up the roster around him.
However, this stance is far from unanimous. Several people think we’ve seen who Fields is by this point. It’s been three years. True franchise quarterbacks typically show themselves within such a timeframe. Yes, the surrounding situation hasn’t been ideal, but good-to-great quarterbacks still show rapid improvement. More importantly, they show consistency. Former NFL executive Louis Riddick believes it has reached a point where the book is written on Fields.
Silvy of Waddle & Silvy countered with the argument that the QB still has so much potential. He keeps showing flashes of what he can be. Riddick was unmoved, delivering a harsh reality check.
“Flashes get people fired.”
Justin Fields isn’t the first highly drafted QB stuck in this limbo.
There are several examples of this throughout recent NFL history. Everybody thought Jeff George was the second coming of John Elway in 1990. He had some brilliant moments but never truly turned the corner because of his questionable personality. Vince Young was an insane athlete coming out of Texas that shredded defenses with his legs. He always had a good arm. What he didn’t have was the best accuracy or an ability to read and exploit coverages. Sam Bradford had stretches of solid play. He also had weak knees that were susceptible to injuries.
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Maybe there is a magic formula out there that could turn Justin Fields into a star. The sad part is the Bears can’t waste too much time looking for it. They already fell into that trap once before with Jay Cutler. Three different head coaches. Five different offensive coordinators. It never worked out. Justin Fields has done everything he can to become a franchise passer. It hasn’t worked. The best thing for the organization and probably for him is a clean break.
