The Crucial Moment: Justin Fields’ First Step in Chicago’s QB Dilemma

All losses in the NFL are frustrating, but they are also not all built the same. The Chicago bears ultimately a twelve-point lead with four minutes left on the game clock lost 31-26 to the rival Detroit Lions, falling to a 3-8 record on the season. While there’s no good excuse for giving up 17 points in such a short period of time, the Bears have goals that are a little bigger than this season. Justin Fields Sunday due to a thumb injury.

Fields is one of the most physically talented quarterbacks in the league, with inconsistencies that have made his future in Chicago bleak, but his performance against the Lions was a strong step in getting back on track as a starting quarterback in the NFL.

Fields brought back an element of explosiveness that was missing in the four games backup quarterback Tyson Bagent started. For an undrafted rookie, Bagent did well enough to help the Bears win two of the four games he started, but he is not the future of the franchise. Fields’ physical skills alone have teams thinking about what’s possible if he can become a more consistent player.

He put up notable highlights with his arm and his legs against the Lions, leading six scoring drives, throwing one touchdown and adding 104 yards on the ground. There are only a handful of quarterbacks in the league capable of accomplishing such feats in a game. Even though Fields was brought to safety at the end of the game to ice the game, the Bears would not have been in a position to win without his efforts and confident play.

“I’m going to be real with you guys,” Fields said afterward. “We should have won the game. It just comes down to finishing and executing at the end of the game.”

Outside of Fields, the other Bears rushers combined for 79 yards on 28 carries. Fields beat that production himself. That’s where his value, and the value of quarterbacks who happen to be elite athletes, can really shine. Fields can generate his own offense on the ground and if his dropbacks are also efficient, it’s easy to see why some people are still excited about his prospects in the league.

A game like this is important, even if the Bears decide not to keep him and move him to another team this offseason. They own the Carolina Panthers‘ first round draft pick in 2024, who is currently projected as the first pick in the draft, according to Tankathon. The Bears’ original pick currently sits at fourth overall, giving them a treasure trove of draft capital to play with. If Fields proves so valuable that another team is willing to pay big for him, the Bears could use those assets to help their new quarterback, whether that’s Caleb Williams from USC or Drake Maye from North Carolina.

This current Bears regime didn’t draft Fields, so they may not feel as inclined to keep him, but the best outcome of this season for the Bears is Fields proving he’s worthy enough to return in 2024 as the starting quarterback. be creative with their picks at the top of the draft, using them to trade and collect more assets or take two bona fide prospects. Either way, the Bears have a lot of control over their future and the potential to get better quickly. They just need to spend these last six games figuring out how Fields fits into the organizational equation.

Success doesn’t happen overnight, especially for teams at the beginning of a multi-year rebuild, but Fields playing well can only be a positive for the Bears. They will gain insight into exactly where Fields is in his development to end the year. Chicago will play the Vikings, Lions, Tanning, Cardinals, Falcons and Packers to end the season. The first three teams on that list could be a headache to play against offensively, while there is some relief on the back end.

Fields will spend the next month and a half playing for his NFL future. His performance against the Lions showed that he is capable of doing positive things that other quarterbacks cannot. If he maintains this level against some of the stronger teams, the Bears will have a tough decision to make at the end of the season.