What Ryan Poles wants and what he hints at aren’t the same thing. Any smart GM would want the entire NFL thinking there is a possibility he might make a chance at quarterback. Confusion creates chaos and chaos leads to possible trade offers. The truth is there is no precedence for the Chicago Bears trading Justin Fields. There are exceedingly few instances where an organization jumped ship on a 1st round quarterback after two seasons. In every instance, there was undeniable evidence the player was terrible. That isn’t the case with Fields. He showed more than enough in 2022 to deserve another year, at least.
Fields is not Jamarcus Russell. He is not Cade McNown or Josh Rosen. This is a talented young man who improved last year. His work ethic is unquestioned. He’s tough and resilient too. The thing about Poles is he understands better than most the value of patience. He saw it work with Matt Cassel, who went from 7th round backup in New England to Pro Bowler in Kansas City. He saw it work with Alex Smith, a perceived failure of a #1 pick in San Francisco who became a three-time Pro Bowler in Kansas City. If those guys could blossom with a little patience, Fields can too.
Ryan Poles knows he has no reason to panic.
He has a talented, young quarterback on a rookie contract. Abandoning him right now simply because he has the #1 pick is not smart football. Every QB in this draft class is a lottery ticket. None of them are guaranteed to have success in the NFL. Fields already showed signs of exactly that. Go back and watch his games against Philadelphia, Miami, and New England. He was a primary driving force in those strong performances. Yes, his progress as a passer must pick up speed. That can happen with better protection and receiving weapons. Not to mention another year in the same offense.
Also, don’t forget the locker room impact. All signs point to Fields becoming a standout leader. He was elected captain for a reason, and teammates speak glowingly about his presence. What signal does it send to other players when you trade away the guy that played his guts out last year and embraced the leadership role? Ryan Poles doesn’t know if he has a star quarterback yet. Still, he at least has a short-term bridge option. The Bears can win some games with him. If he blossoms into a productive passer, terrific. If not, the team can revisit a chance a year or two down the line.
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