Bears have to be ‘blown away’ by 2024 draft prospect to move on from Justin Fields

Speculation about whether the Bears would (or should) select former Alabama quarterback Bryce Young with the No.1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft started the moment Chicago secured the first overall selection.

Justin Fields was fresh off a near-record-breaking rushing season for a quarterback, and he developed just enough as a passer to keep his outlook promising. General manager Ryan Poles said at the time that he’d have to be blown away by a 2023 draft prospect to move on from Fields, and it didn’t take long to know he wasn’t, Poles traded the pick to the Panthers, and Fields began the 2023 season as the unquestioned QB1 for the Bears.

Now, ten games into the season, Justin Fields continues to be an incomplete evaluation. He’s missed four games with a dislocated right thumb, and in the six games he has played, he’s been a mixed bag of highlights and frustration.

Fields’ inconsistency, combined with the Chicago Bears jockeying for the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft (via the Carolina Panthers’ selection), has again sparked questions about whether Poles will move on from Fields and draft “his guy” with an early first-rounder.

This year’s draft class has two blue-chip quarterback prospects in USC’s Caleb Williams and North Carolina’s Drake Maye, with Williams being described by some draft analysts as a generational prospect.

It’s hard to believe Poles would pass on drafting a quarterback again this year, especially if the 2023 season ends without much clarity about Justin Fields’ long-term outlook. But according to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, the same evaluation standard will be applied by the Chicago Bears to this year’s prospects: Poles has to be “blown away.”

But Fields must do his part to ensure Williams, Maye, or any other 2024 prospect doesn’t tempt Poles to pull the trigger. According to Rapoport, the Chicago Bears have boxes they want Fields to check over the next seven games.

“Here’s what the organization wants to see: Is this a QB who can win multiple championships?” Rapoport wrote. “Can he be consistent enough, especially in key moments like red-zone and two-minute offense? Can he execute with the game on the line? Can he avoid turning the ball over and keep drives going?”

Honestly, this sounds like a list of expectations every team has for their quarterback. If Fields plays like a guy “who can win multiple championships,” he won’t just cement himself as the Bears’ QB1, he’ll be one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Few quarterbacks who’ve ever put on a helmet were capable of winning multiple championships.

The good news for Bears fans is it sounds like Chicago hasn’t bailed on Fields … yet.

Have the first 2.5 seasons of his career been as good as we’d hoped? No. But there have been plenty of flashes from the 2021 first-round pick, both as a runner and passer, to feel confident that he can lead Chicago to many wins, playoff appearances, and maybe more.

Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus said this week that he wants to see Justin Fields show consistency over the remainder of the season, and I think that’s fair. As confident as we are that he can be a winning quarterback, he has to consistently look the part on the field. And he’s struggled with that since turning pro.

Fields has completed 61.7% of his passes for 1.201 yards, 11 touchdowns, and six interceptions in six games this season.

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