Regarding what the Bears should do with quarterback Justin Fields this offseason, everyone has an opinion.
General manager Ryan Poles must make a franchise-changing choice with the No. 1 pick in his pocket that will determine the course of his Chicago rebuilding project: would he continue to build around Fields or move on and select Caleb Williams?
There are many different viewpoints in Las Vegas regarding the path the Bears should take at quarterback, but one Hall of Fame player stood out on Thursday.
The Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner told NBC Sports Chicago, “They are weighing a tough decision.” “What I’ll say is, you better believe he’s the guy when you reach the stage where we are with quarterbacks in this league and what it means for your organization to have to pay them. I think that’s where teams really start to struggle. Just like the Giants are going to give Daniel Jones forty million dollars. He hasn’t proven to be that kind of guy. Hopefully, he is that guy. Perhaps there have been hints, but he hasn’t proven to be that guy. He’s still not that man, thus the Giants are behind the eight ball. He might be in three years, but not at this moment. They pay him as a result.
“I believe that Justin’s issue with me is that he hasn’t proven to be that guy.” does not imply a lack of talent. It doesn’t mean he can’t be a successful quarterback for a franchise. However, after three years if you don’t eliminate all question and declare, “He’s our guy,” You should probably go on. You can’t just go give him $50 million and hope that the few moments you saw translate into something truly amazing. It might be a bad thing since some of these guys play too soon, they’re not ready yet, and it will probably determine their future move or contract. All we have to go on, though, is that. You need to show me that you are that guy if you have been playing for three years.
Warner is more concerned with what Fields has demonstrated than what he hasn’t. It’s the unusual and sometimes unfair predicament he finds himself in, as the Bears, via the Carolina Panthers, own the top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
“We need to include the fact that they have the top pick,” Warner stated. “It isn’t as though they will decide to acquire another quarterback after selecting the 23rd pick. If you think Caleb Williams may be that guy, then you got first dibs. That, in my opinion, is Justin’s bad situation, but remember that he has three years. Not ideal circumstances. There are numerous components involved. However, I haven’t watched his play consistently enough to say, “I think he can get there.” To me, being undecided means that you must go acquire the second top option and proceed.
Despite finding himself in a horrible circumstance for a rookie quarterback, Fields has only become better. He is undoubtedly the best playmaker with his legs and has improved as a passer.
However, he has not improved as a passer and is among the lowest in the league in practically all significant passing categories during the fourth quarter.
Warner’s viewpoint ought to be taken seriously. Because of his position with NFL Network, he has thoroughly evaluated Fields and has a broad understanding of what the Bears know and don’t know.
That’s what Poles and the Bears have to decide in this situation.
It doesn’t matter what Fields could have become or could have become in the future if he had been surrounded by more talented people.
It concerns what they know and what he has demonstrated. Warner believes Fields hasn’t demonstrated enough to prove he is the Bears’ starting quarterback.
Warner sees Williams’s uncertainty, which Fields hasn’t been able to dispel, as a bright indicator that the Bears should look toward a future without him.