The Chicago Bears mortgaged their future in 2021 to trade up and select Justin Fields with the 11th overall. A hyper-athletic prospect with college production to boast, Fields was supposed to be the savior for the Chicago Bears franchise. His performance over the past two years has been anything but, and his performance Thursday night was a snapshot of the issues in the Windy City.
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Will Justin Fields Overcome His Struggles?
The Chicago Bears lost to the Washington Commanders 12-7 Thursday night on prime time. Fields missed open receivers on each of his first two drives resulting in a scoreless first quarter. His throwing mechanics and arm strength show a quarterback who should be able to hit every receiver all over the field. The same quarterback who misses a five-yard dump-off proceeds to hit a receiver 40 yards downfield in the end zone. It’s a mind-boggling situation. Albeit, the poor coaching of Matt Nagy in 2021 gave Fields a free pass last year. The Bears may be the worst 2-4 team in the league with the 31st-ranked offense according to ESPN. Is Justin Fields the issue in Chicago?
Is The Offense Fields’ Fault?
Blaming Fields for everything wrong with the Chicago offense seems harsh, until you compare his performance to other second-year players. Trevor Lawrence seems to have turned the Jacksonville Jaguars around. Mac Jones has proven he can win in this league. Even Zac Wilson is 2-0 as the New York Jets starter this year. Why can’t Fields get the offense moving? His inability to read the defense and trust his playmakers results in the second-most sacks in the NFL. To be fair, general manager Ryan Pace has not done anything to pair Fields with a playmaker he should trust.
No Weapons No Answers
According to Pro Football Focus, Fields is working with the worst receiving corps in the NFL. The NFL has seen the impact that a premium receiver can make on a young quarterback’s growth. Pairing Josh Allen with Stefon Diggs jump-started Allen’s career. Then the Philadelphia Eagles added A.J. Brown to Jalen Hurts’ arsenal, while the Jacksonville Jaguars added Christian Kirk to Lawrence’s. As long as Fields does not have a premium receiver option, it is impossible to evaluate his performance. And you don’t need to take my word for it, just ask Bears wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette.
Offensive Line Worries
Everyone remembers this meme from the 2021 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, the Chicago Bears have given Fields neither an offensive line nor a weapon on the outside. The Chicago Bears offensive line ranks 31st per Pro Football Focus’ preseason rankings and has not impressed yet this season. Yes, some of the sacks are on Fields. But he needs some help from the big men up front.
The Way Forward
If the Chicago Bears want to make a push this year, there are free-agent options available. Odell Beckham Jr. is not everyone’s first pick, but his talent is undeniable. Will Fuller has been sitting unsigned waiting for a call from a receiver-needy team.
If the team would rather trade, they should be calling the Seattle Seahawks, Pittsburgh Steelers, or Carolina Panthers. D.K. Metcalf recently signed a massive extension, but Tyler Lockett should be available for the right price. The Pittsburgh Steelers have an embarrassment of riches at receiver and would be more than willing to take the disgruntled Roquan Smith in a one-for-one swap. As outlined in this fire sale article, D.J. Moore’s price would be high but the advantage of an alpha receiver cannot be understated.
Even as Justin Fields struggles continue, the Chicago Bears cannot fully evaluate him without some help.
