The Chicago Bears haven’t made their intentions at quarterback known. Don’t expect them to either. Not until at least after the scouting combine next month. GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus have tons of work to do evaluating the upcoming draft class, headlined by USC’s Caleb Williams and North Carolina’s Drake Maye. Still, there is a large section of Bears fans and national media who think the team should ride it out with Justin Fields, believing he was never the problem with the offense the past year. Luke Getsy and his staff were.
Thus far, insiders have indicated almost universally that expectations are that Chicago will trade Fields to another team and select a quarterback at #1. Most likely Williams. According to Albert Breer of the MMQB, the chance to work with the USC star is a big reason the Bears had so much interest in their vacant offensive coordinator position. However, the insider then dropped a little bomb at the end, indicating Fields’ stance inside the organization isn’t a foregone conclusion.
He has one very important supporter.
“I’d wondered whether it’d be tough for the Bears to find the right guy, given the perception that 2024 will be a make-or-break year for the football folks at Halas Hall. But because they moved fast, they were able to meet with a good range of people (they even traveled to California to sit down with Rams pass-game coordinator Zac Robinson and USC’s Kliff Kingsbury), and sell their job to a guy who had some options.
Of course, the chance, potentially, to coach USC’s Caleb Williams was something mentioned to me as a drawing card by candidates for the job (though Eberflus did defend Justin Fields in the interviews, as I understand it).”
Justin Fields’ fate may hinge on looming draft interviews.
Remember, GM Ryan Poles said last year that he needed to be “blown away” by one of the quarterbacks in the previous draft before he’d consider a change. Bryce Young and CJ Stroud clearly didn’t make the necessary impressions. So the Bears traded the pick to Carolina for a massive haul, including wide receiver D.J. Moore, two 2nd round picks, and the 1st round pick in 2024 that became #1 overall. If Williams, Maye, or the others also fail to move the needle, it appears the Bears aren’t opposed to maintaining the status quo.
Explore premium Chicago Bears hoodies from Fanatics.
New offensive coordinator Shane Waldron has already proven he can elevate quarterbacks like Justin Fields. Russell Wilson and Geno Smith both played similar styles. He got each of them to the Pro Bowl, lowering their time-to-throw and improving their production. Maybe the Bears feel he can have the same impact on Fields. Or maybe Eberflus is sticking up for somebody he likes and respects. Either way, this is definitely something to file away for the next few weeks.
