Bears: Assessing the future of QB Justin Fields — should he stay or should he go?

Should He Stay? Or Should He Go? The Justin Fields Discourse Continues

We can talk all day about the Bears failing Justin Fields. Whether it’s from the top of the organization to the coaching staff to the roster around him — the excuses are many. And frankly, very few of them are unfounded.

Fields entered a difficult situation in Chicago. Playing for a head coach that didn’t necessarily want him can be alienating, and it had a clear negative impact on his development in Year 1. More uncertainty clouded the 2022 campaign as the Bears struggled to find any synergy on either side of the ball.

However, after seeing Poles double down by trading away the No. 1 pick, Fields finally had an offseason to prepare as “the guy” in the locker room. The opening month was less than spectacular, and it was followed by an injury that knocked him out for a few weeks.

But since returning from injury, Fields has flashed elite play behind center. He accounted for 1,600+ yards and eight total touchdowns in those six games, completing over 60 percent of his passes and engineering multiple fourth-quarterback drives in crunch time.

All in all, progress has been made on the Fields front. However, as he approaches the end of his third season, are the flashes enough to justify trading out of the No. 1 overall selection again? That is the question on the mind of every Bears fan.

One important wrinkle comes in the form of Fields’ contract. Next year will be his final “official” season on his rookie deal, with a lucrative fifth-year option awaiting in 2025. Chicago boasts ample salary cap space, but would it be wiser to restart the clock at quarterback with a fresh rookie deal?