ESPN reports Justin Fields decision will be hard to make for Chicago Bears front office; many things will play factor in choice
Justin Fields wants to be a Chicago Bear. Most of this passionate fanbase also would like Fields to remain in the Windy City, and it was apparent after their Week 17 win over the Atlanta Falcons, and chants of “We want Fields” roared over the chilly air at Soldier Field. Now, the real question remains.
Do the Chicago Bears want to keep him as their starting QB going forward, even after securing the number one pick in the 2024 NFL draft?
After earlier reports in the week that stated Justin Fields’ recent play has made the Chicago Bears future plans at QB harder, more reports are starting to come out regarding this eventual huge decision Ryan Poles will have to make. Lot’s of key factors will come into play as the organization makes their decision, but many wonder if they’ll make another wrong one, as they have so many times in the past.
Today, ESPN’s Courtney Cronin released a deep dive on the entire situation, which included some interesting footnotes as the season comes to a close. Some of which you can read below.
If Poles is retained as expected, the GM will spend significant time assessing the complete picture around Fields in Chicago and how it might shape the future. A front office source said Fields’ “special” playmaking has “absolutely” made the Bears’ quarterback decision for April’s draft more difficult. Issues of team chemistry will play a role, and the Bears will evaluate the totality of Fields’ performance in Chicago, including the impact of a supporting cast that has not always been a complement during his three seasons.
Now, “team chemistry issues” caught my attention. Cronin was referring to last seasons’ debacle, as the Bears let go of some key players near the trade deadline, including key defenders Roquan Smith and Robert Quinn, both of whom were loved by the city and fanbase.
The risk of getting rid of Justin Fields is massive when talking locker room implications. This offense, in particular star WR D.J. Moore, have had his back this entire time. If they let him go, the team chemistry will certainly take a massive blow, and things could go from bad to worse in a heartbeat.
Some Chicago Bears players have even spoke out about the potential of losing him, and what it could do to the team. It reminds them of the Smith and Quinn situation last season.
“It’s like, if you get rid of him, what are we doing?” a Bears veteran said. “It’s like last year when they got rid of [linebacker] Roquan [Smith] and Rob [pass-rusher Robert Quinn]. That was our captain. We knew we were going down.”
What could the Bears get if they decide to keep Justin Fields, and trade down from the number one spot?
The idea of what exactly the Bears could get for the number one pick is still up in the air, but some general managers around the league believe it could warrant even more than what Poles got last year for the first pick. We’re talking multiple draft selections, and potentially a star player or two.
The desire for Caleb Williams and Drake Maye is widely known amongst the league, as the NFL has plenty of teams still searching for their franchise QB, one of which could still be the Chicago Bears at this time next year. The Justin Fields experiment may not be over after all, and I’ll admit I thought their was little hope for him in Chicago before the second half of the season started.
Justin Fields was in playmaker mode on Sunday 🕹️ pic.twitter.com/wjgDG7TWTW
— NFL (@NFL) January 2, 2024
Whatever you think the Bears should do with this quarterback decision is entirely subjective. But after years and years of disappointment and failure to have a franchise guy behind center, this is surely a call that Ryan Poles has to make correctly.
His job and many others in the organization could be at stake.
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