In one game Sunday, Justin Fields answered every possible question about his credentials as the Chicago Bears’ franchise quarterback in 2024 and beyond.
If more information was needed, Fields’ performance against the rival Green Bay Packers should have provided ample evidence to validate their research and render a final verdict.
Justin Fields isn’t qualified for the job. Case closed.
The Bears own the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, and there’s been speculation they will use it on a quarterback, namely Caleb Williams of UFC.
They should do it. Correction: The Bears need to do it. Draft Williams, move on from Fields, and don’t look back.
If the Bears do take a peek behind them, they should look no further than Sunday — the day Justin Fields convinced them to draft Caleb Williams.
Related: 2023-24 NFL offense rankings
Justin Fields misses the mark against Green Bay
Justin Fields had a prime opportunity against the Packers, who needed a victory to advance to the NFL playoffs
Fields and the Bears were all that stood in Green Bay’s way. Knowing his future with Chicago was still in doubt, Fields was looking to make a bold statement, one spoken loudly and persuasively through his right arm and nimble feet.
As a credit to Fields, he succeeded. He delivered a compelling message that required no translation and left room for no misinterpretation.
The only problem is, Fields’ message conveyed the opposite of his original intention.
While Fields was aiming for excellence, he missed badly, like an errant throw on a slant route. His ordinary effort in the Bears’ 17-9 loss at Lambeau Field fell woefully short.
On display was the mediocrity that Chicago has come to expect from him as the starting quarterback, and Fields’ numbers supported the eye test: 11-of-16 passing, 148 yards, no touchdowns, and five sacks.
Related: NFL QB rankings
Justin Fields doesn’t measure up to Jordan Love
Three seasons offered Fields plenty of time to build a strong case for himself, but the NFL is all about winning, and Fields has led the Bears to a 10-28 record and zero playoff appearances.
On Sunday, it didn’t help Fields much that he was sharing the same field as Jordan Love, who has won only one fewer game (nine) in his first season as the Green Bay Packers’ starting quarterback than Fields has won in three.
Love, who waited his turn behind Aaron Rodgers, is demonstrating what Fields hasn’t. Over the final half of the season, Love has developed into a lethal passing threat and has elevated his game enough to excite Packers fans about the future in the post-Rodgers era.
Fields, instead, might have Bears’ fans remembering Mitchell Trubisky rather fondly.
Related: 2024 NFL Mock Draft: Where does Caleb Williams go?
Caleb Williams is the future, Justin Fields the past
The Bears are left with little choice but to start over with a new quarterback with the potential to change the narrative about the franchise and lead them to the playoffs. It’s what they hoped for when they drafted Fields with the No. 11 pick in the 2021 draft.
Among draft experts, the consensus No. 1 choice would be Caleb Williams. The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner is considered the most NFL-ready prospect among quarterbacks in recent years, someone who could immediately impact a team in the same manner that C.J. Stroud has as a rookie in Houston.
In the meantime, there is nothing more Justin Fields can do to change the narrative about himself. His body of work is complete and irrefutable.
And in an effort to show he’s a vital part of the Bears’ future, all Justin Fields has done is prove the Bears would be better off with Caleb Williams.