The Chicago Bears seemed to make their intentions at quarterback clear two weeks ago. They traded the #1 overall pick to Carolina for extra draft selections and wide receiver D.J. Moore. It was a clear message from GM Ryan Poles that he intended to stay the course with Justin Fields in 2023. It makes sense. The young QB showed improvement last season in difficult circumstances. With more time in the same offense and better pieces around him, it’s not crazy to think he can keep getting better. Enter the Lamar Jackson saga.
However, some people continue to keep alive the idea Poles will pull a surprise pivot if the right opportunity arises. Bill Barnwell of ESPN thinks so. He broke down a column of 13 teams he feels are the likeliest landing spots for Jackson in the event Baltimore decides to trade him. The teams at the top were no surprises, like the Falcons, Jets, Colts, and Buccaneers. The surprise was seeing the Bears sit at #6 on the list, ahead of Houston and Tennessee. Barnwell believes Fields will never reach the level Jackson already has.
After trading the No. 1 overall pick to the Panthers for a haul of selections, the Bears indicated they plan to move forward with Justin Fields. Fields’ speed and big-play ability has Bears fans dreaming of an exciting future, but Jackson’s career to this point suggests his success as a pro would be Fields’ ceiling. Fields could win an MVP if everything breaks right and he develops with more talent around him in the years to come, but Jackson already has won one.
Jackson won’t be cheap, but the Bears have plenty of cap space, and his floor is much higher than Fields’.
Lamar Jackson is not the solution to the Bears’ problem.
Yes, the team has plenty of spending money. That doesn’t mean Poles is ready to throw it all away (along with multiple 1st round picks) for a quarterback that has now missed ten games in two years and is 1-3 in the playoffs. There is no denying he can be an electric player at times, but people must stop treating him as if he’s in the same conversation as Patrick Mahomes or Joe Burrow. His body has already taken a beating over the past five seasons from his run-first playing style. Fields is young and cheaper. He’s also every bit as talented.
It’s like getting two types of the same car, but one has more mileage on it and is more expensive. The Bears have to ask themselves a simple question. Does Lamar Jackson put them in line to win a championship? Considering what everybody has seen in Baltimore, the answer is far from a resounding yes. In that case, there is no reason for Poles to deviate from his current plan. Fields has done enough to deserve more time. Let Jackson be somebody else’s problem.
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This has zero chance of happening. Poles just got rid of a player, Roquan, who didn’t have an agent and wanted to get paid big. And also Jackson doesn’t have the character they are looking for. Fields does.
Jackson has won some games and that’s it. Barnwell is an idiot for his comments about Fields, what a douche!
Jackson is an idiot too, thinking he deserves Watson money. Which by the way was the worst deal ever by the Browns.
That would be dumb money to spend on a beat up quarterback
Agree – just plain STUPID !!!! We don’t want any fully guaranteed $ JACKSON demand DRAMA 😤 POLES didn’t give R Smith what he wanted so what makes you think Poles would ever give Jackson the guaranteed $ he wants ????
STUPID.
Another Magpie special