Justin Fields has five games left on the schedule. The Chicago Bears have yet to make a decision regarding his future. They won’t until the evaluation is complete. He showed signs of progress as a passer in recent weeks, but many of his concerning drawbacks remain. Fields has a bad tendency to turn the ball over in the 4th quarter and leaves himself open to way too many hits and sacks. This lack of clarity has created a divide among fans and media about what the Bears should do.
Many think the team should maintain the status quo. Keep Fields, hire a new coaching staff, and keep adding more weapons to the roster. It is a logical course of action. However, former GM Mike Tannenbaum doesn’t believe it will happen. He urged the Bears to move on from Fields last year, citing the same abovementioned problems. His stance hasn’t changed. However, the reasoning has. The decision isn’t only about Fields’ limitations as a pocket passer. It is now about his contract.
He explained on ESPN Get Up.
Justin Fields hasn’t done enough to earn a new contract.
Quarterback contracts have gotten out of control in recent years. Organizations legitimately fear them because of how expensive they’re becoming. The upper echelon is making $50+ million per year. Daniel Jones, as Tannenbaum referenced, is making $40 million. Jones wasn’t even playing that well before the deal was struck, but the Giants felt they had no choice since they were in no position to find a replacement if he walked. Now they’re stuck with that contract. The Bears are familiar with these situations, too. They had considerable regrets about the massive deal they gave Jay Cutler in 2014.
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The lesson is obvious. Unless you are 100% certain a quarterback is the guy, you don’t even flirt with the idea of paying him a new contract. Unlike the Giants, the Bears have a way out. Barring something unexpected, they’re going to end up with one of the top two picks in the 2024 draft. That means they’ll get one of Caleb Williams or Drake Maye. GM Ryan Poles has an escape hatch, and Tannenbaum believes he will use it. Nobody will blame him for doing so. Only Justin Fields has the power to change this. It requires playing some of the best football of his career over the next month.
