The Chicago Bears have already answered one of their most important questions before heading into the new year.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Bears are expected to bring back head coach Matt Eberflus for the 2024 NFL season after the team’s strong second half turnaround over the past few weeks.

With that question now determined, the next one rises for the team’s front office regarding their starting quarterback. However, history in Chicago has shown this decision should be one with an easier answer.

The Bears final weeks of the 2023 NFL season have been utilized as a tryout period for starting quarterback Justin Fields. The Bears have won three of their last four games and are still mathematically in contention for the playoffs entering Week 17. Yet, it’s still hard to determine what Fields’ future looks like in Chicago.

Chicago is currently armed with the number one pick in the NFL draft for the second consecutive season. With a new crop of franchise-caliber signal callers entering the league, the Bears front office could have their own hand picked quarterback if they choose to go that route.

However, history has shown that the Bears might be better off with giving Fields yet another shot following the report of Eberflus’ return in 2024. If the Bears decide to draft a rookie quarterback with the first overall pick and move on from Fields, the team is doomed to repeat it’s past mistakes in 2024.

When the Bears drafted Fields with the 11th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, his first season was spent under the final season of head coach Matt Nagy. When the Bears drafted Mitchell Trubisky with the second overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, his first season was spent under the final season of head coach John Fox.

Now that Eberflus set to return for another season in 2024 and the Bears are in consideration for a rookie quarterback, one can’t help but think that the organization is stuck in an insanity loop. The only way to avoid a third straight similar situation is by retaining the entire core in Chicago.

Fields has seemingly done well enough in 2023 to have a shot at returning as the team’s starter next season with a new system in place. The supporting coaching staff as a whole in Chicago should likely see a major overhaul in Year 3 of the Eberflus era and why not see what Fields can do in that new system before deciding on his future.

Worst case scenario, the results stay the same and the Bears can do a full reset the following year. Best case scenario, Fields finally reaches his full potential under a new play caller and the Bears can begin ascending as an organization.

It’s a tough decision to potentially make if you’re Bears general manager Ryan Poles. Few teams have ever had two straight first overall picks, and even fewer have traded away two consecutive first overall picks in the draft. We’ll see what the Bears front office decides to do in the coming months.