Giving up the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, the Bears broke with decades of NFL norms by making that move before free agency. Passing on the chance to draft Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud, Chicago has an interesting long-game route at the position — thanks to the team that acquired the No. 1 pick.
Carolina’s struggles in Young’s rookie year has Chicago positioned atop the 2024 draft order. While we still have two months to go, the Bears are a virtual lock to exit this season with two top-10 picks. Justin Fields still has some time to win this Bears regime — one that did not draft him — over, but early signs may be pointing to the team replacing him in the draft if the cards fall right.
Ahead of Fields’ return from a thumb dislocation, The Athletic’s Adam Jahns notes the third-year QB probably must change some minds within the Bears’ facility (subscription required). Despite GM Ryan Poles selling this year’s top draft pick and basing this season around a Fields evaluation, he and HC Matt Eberflus were not in Chicago when the team traded up for the Ohio State prospect.
Fields has offered a mixed bag thus far as a pro, showing flashes as a passer but deficiencies as well. One of the best running QBs in NFL history, Fields will need to show more as a passer during this seven-game — barring another injury — audition. He should have a better audition opportunity beginning in Week 11. After the Bears placed Braxton Jones and Teven Jenkins on IR in September, both are now back. Chicago’s starting O-line will protect Fields on Sunday. D.J. Moore also obviously represents a much better WR1 compared to Chicago’s 2022 setup.
The Panthers’ eventual draft slot (or the Bears’) could end up mattering more than Fields’ stretch-run performance. After needing to trade up for Fields at No. 11 two years ago, the Bears could become the rare team with two top-five picks. As it stands now, Chicago holds Nos. 1 and 5 in 2024. With this in mind, the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs expressed confidence the Bears will address the QB position in the first round.
Fields carries the NFL’s second-worst sack rate (12.9%) and the league’s fifth-worst INT rate (3.7%) this season; his 61.7% completion rate ranks 27th. Of course, he steamrolled toward Lamar Jackson‘s QB single-season rushing record — despite missing two games — last season. The Bears being asked to punt on Caleb Williams or Drake Maye might be a tough sell, considering Poles had a chance to make a QB draft investment this year and passed. They should be considered more likely to be impressed with one of next year’s top arms compared to this year’s crop, per Jahns.
The Bears have been down this road before, of course, with Pace trading up for Mitch Trubisky in 2017. (Maye also being a North Carolina product would introduce an interesting subplot here.) An early ESPN consensus slots Williams as next year’s top overall prospect and Maye sixth. Then again, the quarterback position’s importance stands to drive next year’s second-best passing prospect up the board.
Barring a considerable Fields turnaround, the Bears having the inside track to one of next year’s top two QBs may well be the direction this process takes. After brief Fields trade rumblings surfaced this year, they would obviously intensify if Chicago indeed commits to a rookie QB in the spring.
The plan for the Bears at QB is there is no plan. In fact, You could probably say that about any position on the Bears.
I think Jeff Goldblum is secretly running the Bears. The organization has adopted the “Chaos Theory” he introduced to the public in that Jurassic Park movie.
No plan is right. From owner to mngmnt to players, lost zombies goin through the motions. Used 2B Da Bears …
Fields needs to make another public statement about how he is being misused by this coaching staff – as his level of play (and the Bears’ play calling) seemed to improve a bit after his previous one.
They keep talking about what a high level QB this kid is. Sorry. I see that potential turning into reality with another OSU QB in Houston. Not the one in Chicago
So Poles got Kramer back and then is stupid enough to put him on the practice squad where anyone can grab him again. So Velus Jones is still on the 53 while Kramer can be plucked by anyone. Just more stupidity. The way the Bears go through OL you’d think they’d actually want MORE of them on the team. Just makes my point about absolutely no plan for any position.