The one thing people asked of Justin Fields going into 2022 was that he showed signs of progress. He accomplished that task. His passing efficiency went up (a 73.2 rating to 85.2). He ran for the second-most yards by a quarterback in NFL history. Last but not least, he scored 25 touchdowns with 12 turnovers. That is a quality ratio for most QBs. Fields did all that with one of the worst pass-protecting offensive lines in the NFL and a receiving corps light on playmakers. Yet that hasn’t stopped some fans from calling on GM Ryan Poles to make a chance.
Why? It comes down to his passing productivity. While Fields has improved, it’s impossible to deny he continues to be unable to generate yards through the air. He only crossed the 200-yard boundary twice this season, with 2,242 total in 15 games. For context, Pittsburgh Steelers rookie Kenny Pickett has 2,209 in 11 games. Granted, he isn’t near the running threat Fields is, but it’s a concern people aren’t dismissing. If you want to win a championship in the NFL, you must be able to throw the ball. The Bears can’t. Not all of that is on Fields, but he is part of the issue. He still sometimes holds the ball too long, passing up easy completions for scrambles or sacks.
His game against Detroit last Sunday was a perfect example.
If he still looks that indecisive toward the end of his second season, maybe he is missing something. That is where Brad Biggs comes in. One thing about the Chicago Tribune reporter, he never posts stuff without a reason. He has a reputation for dropping hints about what the Bears might do in the not-so-distant future. I wrote an article about it on January 3rd. Biggs posted a pair of tweets offering the idea that Nathan Peterman may start. Sure enough, Fields was declared out for the finale 24 hours later. Biggs also correctly predicted which position the Bears would target in the 1st round in all but one draft since 2015.
He is the most well-informed insider on the beat. If he were 100% certain Fields was going nowhere, there is no way he’d post an article about the possibility of the Bears taking a quarterback with the #1 or #2 pick in April.
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If you adhere to the “best player available” philosophy when it comes to the NFL draft, you have to live by the rule.
If Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles is in the hunt for the best player with a draft pick that will be no worse than No. 2 overall if they lose Sunday’s season finale against the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field, he’s going to evaluate the quarterback class in the same manner every other position is scrutinized.
That doesn’t mean drafting a quarterback has to be a goal two years after former GM Ryan Pace traded up to choose Justin Fields. But fully vetting available quarterbacks is essential to ensure Poles does not pass on the next Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen or Justin Herbert after a season in which the Bears passing offense has been historically bad.
The points raised are clear.
Fields hasn’t progressed enough as a passer yet. The odds of Chicago picking this high again in 2024 aren’t great. How confident are they that an improved line and more weapons will fix the issue? If they aren’t, then resetting the clock with a new QB is something they might actually consider.
Justin Fields no longer has control of the situation.
He played really well for stretches of 2022, but it’s hard to say if it was enough. It is vital to remember Poles didn’t draft him. Ryan Pace did. It wouldn’t be the first time a new GM has moved on from a quarterback they had no role in picking. Don’t forget Kansas City Chiefs GM Brett Venables willingly set his team on the path of moving on from Alex Smith, a Pro Bowler, because he became infatuated with Patrick Mahomes. Tampa Bay Buccaneers GM Rich McCay shipped out Craig Erickson in 1995 despite the young QB showing signs of progress the year prior.
The key difference here is both Smith and Erickson aren’t as talented as Justin Fields. He is truly a unique physical specimen. There isn’t anything he can’t do athletically. It comes down to whether Poles and the team brass feel he can ever be a viable top passer in the NFL or if he’ll rely on his legs for most of his career. Truth be told, the odds of them moving on from him are remote. The locker room loves him, and he’s shown enough flashes of progress to warrant more time. Still, one thing remains true about draft season.
Always expect the unexpected.
