Vincent Frank
A lot has been made about third-year quarterback Justin Fields and his future with the Chicago Bears. Fields has not shown the necessary improvement for general manager Ryan Poles — or whoever is tasked with that job moving forward — to have confidence in his ability as a franchise quarterback.
Rumors continue to persist out of the Windy City that Chicago will utilize its first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on USC quarterback Caleb Williams. It is currently slated to have the first pick, courtesy of the Carolina Panthers stemming from a blockbuster trade this past spring.
Fields was asked during practice this week what the still-young quarterback thinks he’s shown the Bears’ brass this season.
“Improvement. They know. They know. Everybody in the building knows who I am. Like I said, I can control what I can control and that’s it,” Fields told reporters.
While it is a team-wide stat, the 24-year-old Fields has lost 27 of his 35 starts since the Bears made him a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. The quarterback’s improvement from his sophomore season to Year 3 just hasn’t been where most expected it to be.
| Year | Comp% | Passing Yards | Rushing Yards | Total TD | INT | QB rating |
| 2022 | .604 | 2,242 | 1,143 | 25 | 11 | 85.2 |
| 2023 | .614 | 1,976 | 488 | 16 | 8 | 85.6 |
At least statistically, Fields is not where the Bears’ brass wanted him as the former Ohio State star concludes his third season in the NFL.
Related: Evaluation the best Justin Fields trade scenarios from the Chicago Bears
Justin Fields future will depend on Chicago Bears moves
Chicago’s late-game meltdown against the Cleveland Browns last week pretty much ended any faint hope of playoff contention down the stretch this season. The team sits at 5-9 on the campaign and pretty much playing out the string.
The question here is whether Chicago’s status as a non-playoff team will impact the future of head coach Matt Eberflus and general manager Ryan Poles.
At this point, things seem to be pointing in the direction of team president Kevin Warren moving on from the two. He’s been given a mandate to do what he sees fit from the higher-ups.
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Any new power duo in Chicago will likely want to make their own imprint on the Bears’ roster, leading to a trade of Fields and selecting a quarterback at the top of the 2024 NFL Draft.
It’s in this that rumors continues to show the Bears will flip Fields for whatever capital they can get while starting anew under center.
