Bears: Assessing the future of QB Justin Fields — should he stay or should he go?
The Chicago Bears face a turning point offseason with uncertainty at head coach and quarterback. While Matt Eberflus will likely be sent packing, should the franchise jettison Justin Fields, too?
By Hunter Haas
Let’s go back to the 2021 NFL Draft for a moment. The Chicago Bears, after seeing a highly-regarded quarterback fall outside the top ten, traded up the board. Former general manager Ryan Pace thought he found a franchise centerpiece in Justin Fields.
A Nightmare Rookie Year For Bears QB Justin Fields
Following a disastrous 6-11 campaign, in which then-head coach Matt Nagy arguably sabotaged Fields as the QB1, the young signal-caller caught flack for his play. Nagy, an offensive specialist, was unable to craft a system around the Ohio State alum. And, at times, he looked disinterested in doing so.
Through no fault of Fields, the first-year player finished the season with more interceptions than touchdowns and an abysmal 58.9 percent completion rate. With the firing of Pace and Nagy came a renewed hope amongst the fan base; finally, a regime that will make the most of the exciting rookie.
Or so they thought.
Ryan Poles was tabbed as the successor to Pace, while Matt Eberflus, a long-time defensive coach, took over the role of head coach from Nagy. In nearly two seasons at the helm, Poles has some strong moves on his resume. As for Eberflus? That is a trickier discussion.