{"id":113211,"date":"2021-05-07T21:19:05","date_gmt":"2021-05-08T01:19:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=113211"},"modified":"2021-05-07T21:19:05","modified_gmt":"2021-05-08T01:19:05","slug":"everyone-wants-the-chicago-bears-to-ruin-justin-fields","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2021\/05\/07\/everyone-wants-the-chicago-bears-to-ruin-justin-fields\/","title":{"rendered":"Everyone Wants the Chicago Bears to Ruin Justin Fields"},"content":{"rendered":"

Despite showing signs they might have figured out how to run a team, everyone now wants the Chicago Bears to ruin Justin Fields<\/a>, their 2021 first-round pick (and hopeful franchise quarterback). How exactly? By suggesting there is some scenario outside of injury where he sees the field this coming season. That should absolutely not happen.<\/p>\n

Why Does Everyone Want the Chicago Bears to Ruin Justin Fields?<\/h2>\n

State of the Franchise<\/h3>\n

The predictions on when Fields would supplant Andy Dalton<\/a> as the Bears starter began flying almost instantly upon the trade up to select him. Some have proclaimed him ready and already the best quarterback on the roster, if not Bears history, before even taking a snap. Others say if and when he shows he\u2019s ready, be it in camp, the preseason, or regular season, he should start.<\/p>\n

The right answer, which happens to be the one the Bears are planning to stick to, is to let him sit the entire season (save for garbage time) as he gets acclimated to life in the NFL.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re not talking about physical ability; Fields is a specimen in that regard.<\/p>\n

But the mental aspect of the game is hard enough and it can ruin a player to have to go through those lessons while also dealing with a subpar roster. How many people were saying the Bears were a quarterback away? Now, how many of those people meant a rookie?<\/p>\n

This is a roster still in transition as they\u2019ve already cut Kyle Fuller<\/a> for cap reasons, gave Akiem Hicks<\/a> permission to seek a trade at one point, and are hoping 2020 big-money free agent Robert Quinn<\/a> has a bounce-back under rookie defensive coordinator Sean Desai. That\u2019s a lot of change for a unit that was already showing signs of slowing down.<\/p>\n

[pickup_prop id=”6739″]<\/p>\n

Fully Loaded<\/h3>\n

We haven\u2019t even addressed the new-look offensive line. To assume that it will inherently be better with Teven Jenkins<\/a> and someone (presumably Germain Ifedi<\/a>) at the tackle spots than Charles Leno<\/a> and Bobby Massie<\/a> is faulty. We know how much continuity on the offensive line matters. Not to say overcoming the loss of either Leno or Massie is a tall order (it isn\u2019t). It\u2019s just risky to assume.<\/p>\n

Then we have a receiving corps that was inconsistent last season. Now, it\u2019s going to be counting on Darnell Mooney<\/a> to be the second guy behind Allen Robinson<\/a>. Will Cole Kmet<\/a> take the requisite leap in his second season? Will the blocking in front of David Montgomery<\/a> be better as it was towards the end of last season or was that just a function of facing poor opponents?<\/p>\n

These are questions that will hopefully be answered in the preseason, but even that presents some issues.<\/p>\n

Bears players were among the roughly two-thirds of the NFL to say they won\u2019t be around for \u201cvoluntary\u201d offseason programs, and there will be one fewer preseason game. This won\u2019t directly affect Fields as rookies aren\u2019t skipping anything.<\/p>\n

But it does mean less time he will be around the veteran starters.<\/p>\n

History is Muddled<\/h3>\n

There will be plenty of folks who point to the number of quarterbacks who have been thrown into the fire and done alright. And they aren\u2019t wrong. But in speaking of the Bears, we must remember Fields\u2019 handler is Matt Nagy<\/a>. More specifically, we have to remember the process he<\/i> went through with Patrick Mahomes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Despite showing flashes of what was to come that preseason, it wasn\u2019t until Week 17 of his rookie season that he got into his first game as a pro. Of course, KC was playoff-bound then.<\/p>\n

Before anyone\u2019s head explodes, this isn\u2019t suggesting Fields will reach the same level as Mahomes. Nor that this method is guaranteed. It is familiar, however, to the person who will have the greatest impact on the former Ohio State Buckeye.<\/p>\n

We talk about fit being so pivotal in any player\u2019s development and, truthfully, this might be the best situation for Fields given how things are turning out in Kansas City. And, despite the lack of results, many around the league still believe in Nagy as a play-caller so don\u2019t underestimate him with a quarterback he actually trusts.<\/p>\n

That just doesn\u2019t need to be this season.<\/p>\n

Bears Should Stick to Script with Fields<\/h3>\n

One of Fields\u2019 best traits is his ability to improvise. With the current state of the Bears offense, he could be forced to do more of that than anyone would like. The \u201che should play when he\u2019s ready\u201d take is valid in that you shouldn\u2019t sit him just because. But in Chicago\u2019s case, with the question marks still surrounding this group, that\u2019s not what would be happening.<\/p>\n

And if he doesn\u2019t start to begin the year, what valid reason (outside of injuries) would there be to throw him in ahead of their planned schedule? If the Bears are decent with Dalton to start (unlikely) then why disrupt the rhythm? What about a free-falling team, should he be tossed into that? So no, you don\u2019t sit him just to sit him and he may be ready early.<\/p>\n

But will the team around him be ready?<\/p>\n

Main Photo:
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>