In the eyes of most Chicago Bears fans, the trading of Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith for draft picks was an obvious indication the team is throwing in the towel on 2022. They’ve shifted focus toward next year, when they can start rebuilding the roster. That remained the case even after they traded for wide receiver Chase Claypool. However, Justin Fields wasn’t having any of that. He doesn’t think the trades change anything.
While losing Quinn and Smith is tough, he believes there is still more than enough talent and leadership on the roster to continue winning games. Those losses won’t stop him from continuing to work his tail off to get better. As for the defense, his message to them was even stronger. Guys will have to step up. The idea of tanking or surrendering a season is completely foreign to Fields, and he will never entertain such an idea.
Justin Fields is accepting his new leadership responsibilities.
Smith and Quinn were two of the most vocal presences in the locker room over the past two years. They were elected captains for a reason. Losing both of them in less than a week is tough for any team to deal with. However, Fields was elected one too. As the quarterback, he is the leading man of this franchise. By the sound of it, he’s ready to assume a more central role in that regard. The high standard of trying to win every game doesn’t change regardless of who is traded.
Don’t forget the Bears traded for Claypool. That means they’re still committed to making this team better right now. They’re just doing it by focusing on their young quarterback. That is a good thing. It’s not like the upcoming schedule is insurmountable. Miami, Detroit, Atlanta, and the Jets are four winnable games. Even the fifth before the bye against Green Bay doesn’t seem impossible with how they’ve played lately. This team has a chance if the defense can at least be passable. Justin Fields made sure everybody remembers that.
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Sure the future. Of course but this team keeps playing better, now, this season. Our excellent coaches are molding these young, hungry players and there’s enough games left. If they keep gelling, who knows?
Pace tanked this season with all the big contracts to old geezers. When you assess this team this year it is important to keep in mind how much dead cap is being wiped away. Poles is rebuilding this team without mortgaging the future or trading away future assets. It is an extremely businesslike approach but it can hurt some feelings. Stop pining for Roquan’s mediocrity and start celebrating the discipline that Poles is showing. Don’t let the “want it right now” media crybabies distract you from the overall job Poles is doing. Instead of getting worse, this team is getting… Read more »
My Bears may surprise some teams down the stretch, giving momentum for next year
They are quite capable of losing without actually trying to lose, hehe. I hope though that they can all see the improvement that is happening, and be VERY optimistic about what the future holds for this team.
Fields and the players aren’t tanking . Poles and mgmt are the ones tanking