Chicago — All of the highlight presentations featured the legendary play from the Justin Fields era. To the delight of NFL fans worldwide, it was slowed down, repeated from different perspectives, and had some frames frozen on social media sites.
Fields took the snap from his own 46-yard line, bounced around the pocket, rolled to his left, and waited until the very last second to throw the ball toward the end zone with four seconds remaining and the Chicago Bears behind the Cleveland Browns 20-17. Ronnie Hickman, a safety for the Browns, leaped into a flurry of players and spiked the volleyball with the best of them, sending the ball flying toward the turf.
But as Hickman had planned, the ball struck the gloved hands and then the chest of Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney as he dropped to the ground, not the Kentucky Bluegrass-irrigated field at Cleveland Browns Stadium. A historic touchdown to give Chicago its third straight victory and maintain Fields & Co.’s position in the NFC playoff hunt.
However, Mooney never truly had possession of the ball. When he went backward, he bobbled it and kicked it into the air, which Browns safety D’Anthony Bell caught to end the game. Fields had been so close to the Bears. It was all there was to say.
“I know the guys up front wish they would have had a few plays back, receivers wish they would have had a few plays back,” Fields remarked afterwards. All we need to do is improve. I have to improve.”
After three seasons and 37 starts in the NFL, Fields’ Bears have occasionally looked dangerously close to making a breakthrough. Though inconsistently, the No. 11 pick in the 2021 draft has shown physical prowess, offensive command, and evident leadership abilities. Along with a squad dismantling and attempted reconstruction, he has experienced changes in head coach and coordinator while dealing with an offensive supporting cast that has not been kind to him.
The Bears have improved since Fields took over at quarterback. However, as the 2023 season comes to an end on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers, Chicago’s leadership team must decide if the 24-year-old still holds promise for the future.
It’s not a given that coach Matt Eberflus and second-year general manager Ryan Poles, who were in a position to decide on Fields, would still be there in 2024. According to reports, Poles has gotten along well with his employer, first-year team president Kevin Warren, and he seems ready to make a comeback. After a second straight losing season, Eberflus’ future is a little less clear, but the Bears’ 7-5 record over the previous 12 games helps his cause. All the important players are overshadowed by the Bears’ acquisition of the No. 1 choice in the 2024 draft via a trade with the Carolina Panthers in March.
Fields enjoys good rapport with Poles, Eberflus, and all Chicago executives; however, the number one pick raises the possibility that a quarterback from USC, North Carolina, or another school—Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, for example—might be a better long-term fit for a franchise that hasn’t had a true quarterback since Sid Luckman helped transform the passing game in the 1940s. However, in the event that Poles and Eberflus return, Chicago’s beleaguered leaders must also prevail in 2024. Are they willing to support a novice, even one who is exceptionally gifted?
The decision to choose Fields over the unknown could have a lasting impact on the organization for up to ten years.