It appears that Justin Fields will remain QB1 for the Bears. The Chicago Bears garnered online attention after posting a sizzle video in celebration of their Quarterback, Justin Fields.
There had been much speculation about Chicago moving on from the soon-to-be 25 year old. A tantalizing question to ask considering the high-potential Quarterback prospects in this upcoming draft.
Even Chicago’s Hall of Fame Linebacker, Brian Urlacher, weighed in, “I think they have to take Caleb [Williams]. You know, I don’t think there’s anyway around it, this year.” He made the comments during an appearance on CBS Sports Radio:
Known vs. Potential Talent: Front Office Nightmares
General Managers have been fighting this battle for ages. Do you continue developing your young Quarterback and pay for a few more years with him? Or, do you take a risk on the prospect?
Most don’t reach their full potential. According to Fox Sports, 38 Quarterbacks have been drafted in the first round since 2011. They made a total of 1,909 starts with a record of 1034-1035-7. Only one of those Quarterbacks led their team to a Super Bowl. His name is Patrick Mahomes.
Face it: first round Quarterbacks are shiny, but it’s risky business to draft one. Especially when you’ve already got one like Justin Fields (a former first-round pick).
But, I Understand the Financial Benefit
Thanks to recent contract changes for rookie Quarterbacks, drafting a competent gun-slinger has financial benefits. It opens up the checkbook for the rest of the roster. If you can take a talented arm on his rookie deal, you can spend on the defense, receivers, or other positions.
The Super Bowl 48-bound San Francisco 49ers have built a team around a cheap Quarterback contract. You can’t get luckier than Brock Purdy. They struck gold on 2022’s “Mr. Irrelevant”. Per Sporting News, “in 2022, his rookie season, he made $724,252 in base salary. That went up to $870,000 for ’23, and it will rise to $985,000 for ’24.” Safe to say the 49ers found a sweet spot with their roster around him. A ticket to the big dance says it all.
Getting it Wrong is Dangerous, Though
The Chicago Bears know all about it. Names like Tribuisky and Cutler highlight how Chicago has gotten it wrong with top-round Quarterback picks. Fields is different.
He didn’t have a Pro Bowl year (obviously), but we did see improvement. His 61.4% completion rating in 2023 was a continued improvement from his first NFL snap. He threw for a career-high 2,562 yards and 9 interceptions. He made multiple plays that didn’t show up on the stat sheet; ones that made his confidence evident.
Enough improvement to make you wonder about what to do with this year’s top pick.
Keeping Fields Gives You Other Ways to Use that Pick
That’s the beautiful thing about the NFL. Even the draft is strategic. If the Chicago Bears elect to keep Justin Fields at QB1, they could hit the lottery on talent at other positions. Marvin Harrison Jr., Brock Bowers, Joe Alt, or some other talented names. Anything is possible. No matter what, an underdog will be created with this pick.
Will it be Justin Fields? Caleb Williams? Who knows. One could only wonder if Chicago has already made up their mind.