GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus have maintained their stance regarding the Chicago Bears quarterback position from the outset. Justin Fields is the starter. Period. There hasn’t been any debate from their end. When his thumb is finally healthy, he will resume taking the snaps. However, when the conversation shifts to 2024, there’s been silence. Nobody has a clue what the organization is thinking. Maybe it’s because Fields still has seven games to play and the evaluation is incomplete. Or maybe it’s because they already have a plan and don’t want anybody to know about it.
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune is as well-connected to the organization as anybody. When he makes comments about what is likely to happen, people can pretty much take it to the bank. That is why his latest mailbag column was eye-opening. He discussed several topics, from the Montez Sweat trade to Eberflus’ job status. It was here he delivered a seemingly off-handed statement that carried a ton of weight behind it.
“I am confident the Bears will address the quarterback issue in the first round of the draft. Whether they get it right or not, we won’t know for some time. But I completely agree, it is very difficult to win consistently without top-tier QB play.”
Is that premature? That depends on who you ask, but a case can be made. Fields hasn’t found consistency as a passer since he arrived in 2021. He still holds the ball too long, takes far too many unnecessary sacks, fumbles too much, and has yet to play a complete season healthy. It also doesn’t help that he plays his worst football in the 4th quarter, posting a 64.5 passer rating with 10 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. There is no denying he is a physical specimen with so much potential, but there comes a time when an organization can’t keep leaning on that.
Poles inherited Fields. He didn’t draft him. As of today, the Chicago Bears hold the rights to the #1 pick in the 2024 draft. Drake Maye and Caleb Williams both look like future high-caliber starters. If the Bears are able to land one of them, restarting makes more sense. Fields only has one year left on his rookie contract. Starting over gives the Bears a four-year window to stack the roster for a possible playoff push. Of course, Poles will have to do what previous GMs have failed at. He will have to pick the right quarterback.
