What In The World Are The Bears Going To Do With Justin Fields?
I hate to say "I told you so" but … wait, that's a lie. I love to say "I told you so." Thus, I'm not passing an opportunity here. I told you so when it came to Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields.
Honestly, I never understood the hype. I remember sending a social media post out prior to when the Bears drafted Fields in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. ESPN was hyping up Fields with a video of his "incredible accuracy." Except, none of the throws they showed in a HIGHLIGHT package were that good.
Here's how the sausage is made when it comes to things like that. An ESPN "talent" tells the producers "hey, I want to talk up Justin Fields." The producer then sends a production assistant or another underling to go find tape that fits the talking point.
That poor PA probably scoured through Justin Fields' footage at Ohio State. "C'mon man, give me at least ONE good throw to show!" But, he couldn't find the tape. That should have been a sign.
Green Bay Packers defensive end Karl Brooks sacks Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields. Mark Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
(Mark Hoffman/USA TODAY Sports)
But, NFL fans, the media and even teams fall in love with raw tools too frequently. Fields has a strong, although inaccurate, arm and he's a freak athlete. The problem is that he cannot process the field at a high enough level to play quarterback in the league.
This was clear as a rookie. I wrote a piece for the 33rd Team during that season that broke down every single snap Fields took during one of his starts. Here was the key takeaway of mine from 2021:
"[Fields] frequently locked onto his first read from the snap and telegraphed where the ball was going. He was jumpy in the pocket, even when it was clean ... I did not note a single pass completed to a player who was not the first read on the play."
Yet, media members continued to cover for Fields, despite the obvious conclusion staring them in the face. They blamed the offensive line, the coaching staff, the receivers … everything except for Fields himself.
Again, his lack of awareness on a football field had been on display for multiple seasons.
Fields even TOLD ON HIMSELF in September when he basically admitted that he cannot handle having too much information.
Yes, I posted a lot about Fields' mistakes. Because I hate Justin Fields? Not at all. I just never understood why so many people in the NFL media constantly covered for a guy who isn't any good. I made it my mission to continue to try and show them they were wrong.
Most came around this season and that brings us to now. March 2024. The Chicago Bears hold the #1 pick in the NFL Draft, again, but this time they aren't going to trade it. They're going to use it on a quarterback to replace Justin Fields.
Thus, they want to trade Fields and recoup some of the value they lost on the former #11 overall pick. The problem? NFL teams know what I've been saying for three years is correct: he stinks.
No team wants to trade for Fields. The Pittsburgh Steelers preferred 35-year-old Russell Wilson. The Minnesota Vikings replaced Kirk Cousins with Sam Darnold rather than make a play for Fields.
Every other team that might have needed a quarterback chose to go in a different direction. Fields has no trade value.
Except, some are still holding onto the idea that even his lack of trade value is not his own fault. I give you ESPN NFL "analyst" Damien Woody:
So, now what? The most likely option is that the Bears have both Fields and Caleb Williams on the roster in about six weeks. They have to hope that some team gets desperate after missing out on a rookie quarterback or that a starter goes down during training camp or the preseason.
Maybe then, a team will be forced to give Fields a shot. Or, as the media will put it when it happens: "Team X gets an unbelievable steal, trading for MVP-sleeper pick Justin Fields in exchange for just a late-round pick!"
Just admit that you were wrong, and I was right, and we can all move on.