It’s a month into the 2022 season, and conversations have already begun about Justin Fields’ future with the Chicago Bears. It sounds ridiculous. Yet people can’t ignore what their eyes are telling them. The young quarterback is struggling. His ability to make plays from the pocket hasn’t improved since last season. He’s still dropping his eyes and choosing to run too quickly. As of now, he’s on pace to be one of the most sacked quarterbacks in a single season in NFL history. If that weren’t bad enough, he has also yet to crack 200 yards passing in a game. This is the issue GM Ryan Poles continues to deal with.
One can’t forget the new man in charge inherited Fields. He didn’t draft the former Ohio State standout. Things like that matter in these situations. While Poles has voiced public support for the embattled quarterback, he’s under no obligation to keep him. Many are wondering if he might already be planning to pull the plug next off-season when the Bears have loads of cap space and are back in the 1st round of the draft.
It is a valid concern. However, there are reasons to believe Poles won’t be so eager to do that.
Ryan Poles is a believer in the offensive scheme.
When he took over, the young GM said one of the reasons he was comfortable with the offense despite no huge investments via free agency or the draft was the new scheme. Luke Getsy brought the Shanahan wide-zone system that’s had significant success with several teams over the years. Most recent among them include San Francisco, Green Bay, and Los Angeles. Miami and Minnesota are also reaping the rewards.
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The thing is, a quarterback can’t learn a new offense in a few months. It often takes at least a full year to start mastering the intricate details involved. People can see the problems. Fields often doesn’t recognize where his reads are. Miscommunications are an issue. Wide receivers run the wrong routes. These are common problems in a new offense, mainly when most of the players involved are so young.
Drafting a QB won’t solve the other big issues.
Think about this for a second. Say Ryan Poles does what many think is possible and drafts a new quarterback in the 1st round. Is that really fixing the issue? The said quarterback would merely be inheriting the same dismal situation Fields has. The Bears would still have a porous offensive line and limited talent in the passing game. Throwing an even younger QB into such a mess would likely continue the circle of misery.
This one’s scary.
Fields leaves a clean pocket bc he sees the Dexter Lawrence flash again. Tevin Jenkins luckily helps Mustipher before he gets beat but you can see the lack of trust forming and I honestly don’t blame him. #DaBears #Bears #Chicago pic.twitter.com/0GAtD15seo
— Clay Harbor (@clayharbs82) October 4, 2022
Investing those top picks in the best offensive pieces possible makes more sense. Get Fields better blocking and more weapons. Give him another year in the system. Then if he flops again in 2023, Poles will be in a far better position to draft a quarterback in 2024. By then, the offensive structure should be much stronger. This GM isn’t blind. He knew the supporting cast was a problem when he took over.
Insurance options will be plentiful.
One route the Bears could explore is seeking a veteran option in free agency that might offer them an alternative in case Fields does falter. Sure, they already have Trevor Siemian, but his prospects as a starter have never been great. Next spring, there will be a few options on the free agent market that might warrant a look, including Gardner Minshwer, Baker Mayfield, and Jimmy Garoppolo. All three have shown they can play with above-average competence in the NFL over the years.
It would be similar to what the Tennessee Titans did with Ryan Tannehill back in 2019. They weren’t sure about whether Marcus Mariota would show improvement that year as a starter. So they traded for Tannehill. He took over midseason as the starter and helped lead them to the AFC championship. That is what Poles can do for the Bears. Improve the depth while using the majority of resources to focus on the rest of the offense.
I’d like to know what Tom Thayer really thinks about Getsy, Eberflus as a defensive coordinator new to being a head coach, and his thoughts on second half adjustments against the Giants while playing not to lose. If Thayer were to criticize the coaches, unlike Dan Hampton & Ed O’Bradovich on WGN, Thayer would no longer be in the Bears broadcast booth with “kiss up homer” Jeff Joniak.
OK, Lambert, how about some news or status reports instead of goofy speculation about Fields 10 stories in a row. How long is Whitehair going to be out? When is Harry going to be back? Is Mustipher benched yet? Is Quinn taking magician lessons (he seems to have made himself disappear)?
Fields a C plus QB but these stories are a fail
R. Poles would also understand that, drafting another qb, wouldn’t get the team anywhere.
Apart from B. Jones, T. Jenkins the O-line isn’t anything special.
He needs way more then a qb.
The D-line isn’t doing much either, I wouldn’t be surprised if Poles goes after a D-lineman in rnd 1, sign a o-lone an & wr next season, unless N. Harry somehow saves the wr core & becomes a real target for Fields which would open up more opportunities for D. Mooney.
Lambert and his moronic articles… For the love of God, STOP WRITTING SO MUCH BS all day!