It isn’t a matter of if when merely when in regards to Justin Fields. Everybody on the planet knows the Chicago Bears are going to be his team at some point. That is why they traded up to draft him 11th overall. They envision him being a legitimate franchise QB. What isn’t certain is when he’ll be declared the guy. Head coach Matt Nagy has made his stance on that clear. Until further notice, Andy Dalton is the starter.

His approach is hardly an uncommon one. Sit the talented rookie behind a competent veteran so he has a chance to learn. It has worked several times in the past. Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City being the most obvious example. One Nagy experienced personally. He sees Dalton as his version of Alex Smith. The reliable veteran who can hold down the fort for a season while Fields gets himself ready.

It all depends on how Dalton handles that task.

He seems up to the challenge. The 33-year old has carried himself like somebody who expects to start and remain that way for all of 2021. Not everybody is buying it’ll stay that way though. Many fans refuse to believe he’ll last the entire season in the starting role. Fields will supplant him at some point. Former Pro Bowl running back Maurice Jones-Drew made his official prediction in his latest NFL.com article.

“The Bears saw Andy Dalton as their starter when they signed him back in March, and head coach Matt Nagy has been sticking to that story in recent weeks. However, I expect to see Justin Fields on the field sooner rather than later. Maybe not in Week 1, but most likely by Week 4. In my opinion, Fields was the most NFL-ready quarterback of the 2021 draft class and he’ll immediately boost the pass and run games.

He has better arm talent than a lot of people give him credit for, but it’s his athleticism that will take the offense to the next level. A QB who can run a 40-yard dash in the mid-4.4s will move the chains more often than not when this Bears offense gets into some dicey situations. And Nick Foles, well, I’m not so sure he’ll still be on this roster come the start of the season.”

This means the Bears would be debuting Fields at Soldier Field against a visiting Detroit Lions team. As opponents go, it isn’t a bad choice. Detroit looks like a rebuilding team that won’t be too good this season. If Chicago was looking to ease the rookie in, that would be a prime spot to do it. Still, it’s hard to imagine Dalton losing the job after just three games. Then again Nagy did bench Mitch Trubisky last season after a 2-0 start. So anything is possible.

Justin Fields can only control what he can control

That is to say his own performance. Word out of Halas Hall is he’s looked exactly like the player the Bears expected. Talented and intelligent. A quiet leader with sturdy self-confidence. His performances in practice have stood out. Connecting on pretty deep balls. Getting players in the right position before the snap. The coaches have loved what they’ve seen thus far. If that carries into training camp and the preseason?

Then the pressure is immediately put on Dalton. He is the one who controls this narrative the most. Nagy is giving him the chance to hold that job down. Yet he can only do that if the veteran performs at a high enough level to justify it. The same was true for Mike Glennon back in 2017. He had his chance and played poorly enough to where he was benched for Mitch Trubisky after just one month.

Jones-Drew doesn’t think Dalton will even last that long.

Kind of harsh but not totally out of the question. Two of the first three games will be against a pair of solid defenses. The Los Angeles Rams in Week 1 and the Cleveland Browns in Week 3. Both have outstanding pass rushes. If the offensive line can’t protect Dalton, then he could have it rough right out of the gate. That would set the stage for Justin Fields to ascend. Especially if he looks good in camp and the preseason as mentioned before.