The NFL off-season is always madness. There is no shortage of crazy takes that happen. What makes it different this year for the Chicago Bears is that they’re the center of attention. They hold the #1 pick in the draft and nobody has a clue what they’re going to do. Speculation is already rampant. Currently, there are two competing theories. Either GM Ryan Poles will auction the pick off to the highest-bidder seeking a quarterback, securing a bounty of extra picks in return to help build around Justin Fields. Or the Bears will stay put and take either Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson or Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter.
However, there appears to be a third avenue. Former Jets and Dolphins GM Mike Tannenbaum brought it up on ESPN Get Up. He believes the Bears should trade Fields to one of those QB-needy teams and use the #1 pick to select Alabama quarterback Bryce Young. The idea is straightforward in his mind. Young will be a better quarterback. Fields showed enough in 2022 to suggest he has lots of potential. Deal him for a 1st round pick and 3rd round pick to get that extra draft currency and reset the quarterback clock with Young.
He isn’t the only one suggesting it, either. NFL insider Benjamin Allbright hints the possibility is there, whether Bears fans like it or not.
This Justin Fields debate centers on Poles.
The Bears GM has remained supportive and optimistic in public of his young quarterback. Yet some key factors remain that cast doubt on the idea Fields is untradeable. For one, Poles didn’t draft him. He was Ryan Pace’s pick. We don’t know what Poles’ evaluation of Fields was back in 2021. He might not be a big fan. The other part is the passing progression. Fields was brilliant this season as a runner, passing Michael Vick for the second-most yards in a season with 1,143. Throwing the ball was somewhat different. He completed 60.4% of his passes for 2,242 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. That is an improvement over his rookie season but not the kind of progress one hopes for from a second-year quarterback.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
Much of this wasn’t his fault. The Bears have a bad offensive line that suffered from injuries and lack of talent. Their wide receiving corps wasn’t much better. None of them managed to cross 500 yards and suffered from drop issues all year. That said, Justin Fields added to the problems with his persistent issues holding the football, creating a lot of sacks that weren’t necessary. He also has now fumbled 28 times since last year. That is a glaring issue that can’t be ignored.
Will the Bears trade him? Probably not. He’s flashed enough potential to believe a better supporting cast can help him get significantly better. At the same time, one can’t dismiss the possibility. If Poles believes Young can be a star, then everything is on the table.
