If things don’t turn around soon, the Chicago Bears might need to start thinking about alternatives under center for next season.
“Justin Fields probably has a few weeks,” NBC Sports’ Peter King said on the “Parkins & Spiegel Show” on September 26 “Right now, obviously it looks like they’re going to have to draft somebody. But I still think that there’s definitely time to consider the future at quarterback.
Peter King: Bears’ Justin Fields ‘Probably Has a Few Weeks’ to Turn Things Around
“As of right now, I don’t think it makes any sense to throw Justin Fields out with the garbage. You can’t just say in one month we have made a categorical decision on the quarterback. I think you gotta give him time. … When you look at the Chicago Bears, and you look at, let’s just say the next six or seven weeks … this is not a schedule where you say, “Yup, it’s impossible, let’s just move one. We know enough about Justin Fields.
“There’s no sense to do that. You gotta let him play.”
Bears Rallying Around Justin Fields, Each Other Amid Turmoil
King cited Bears general manager Ryan Poles only committing to giving Fields the opportunity to prove himself as a franchise quarterback this season. Poles did not draft Fields and has two first-round picks in the 2024 draft after trading out of the No. 1 slot this season.
“As a staff, we talk about what we need to see,” Poles said on August 30. “But they’ve had those conversations, and he kind of knows what’s expected of him. And, really, he’s a goal-oriented guy, and he’s competitive. I’m sure his stuff is more aggressive than what ours is, which is good. That’s what you want your guys to be like.”
Justin Fields Under Heavy Scrutiny.
Fields was a preseason darling. But he has come under heavy fire for his slow start to the season amid heightened expectations for the team with an improved roster.
The third-year quarterback has completed 58% of his passes for 536 yards with three touchdowns and four interceptions this season. Perhaps most concerning, he is not running like he did last season. Fields set the Bears’ single-season franchise record for rushing yards by a quarterback.
He and the Bears coaching staff emphasized playing from the pocket this offseason but the results have made Fields play “robotic” by his own admission. Fields set out to play freer in Week 3 but found similar results.
“It’s getting to this point where it feels like Justin is going to be the perfect scapegoat,” said former NFL quarterback Tim Jenkins on Bernstein & Holmes on September 26.
“There’s so much more dysfunction than Fields. But when you’re a quarterback in the National Football League, and you’re drafted high, that tends to be the thing. … At the same time, I’m like I don’t know who on Earth as a quarterback could fix what’s going on right now with what seems to be the Bears’ issues.”
Justin Fields ‘Running for His Life’, Insider Says
“I think there are a lot of scouts, front office people, people who evaluated Justin Fields before the draft a couple years ago and thought he was okay,” King said before making a couple of notable comparisons for Fields.
“You look at some quarterbacks in the NFL – you look at Steve Young. He was a great mobile quarterback … You look at Lamar Jackson. Excellent mobile quarterback,” King said. “The difference is, that Steve Young can play a complete game from the pocket. That Lamar Jackson can play 90% of a game in the pocket and tear you apart and win the game. And Justin Fields just hasn’t shown that yet.”
King is also not putting the full weight of Fields’ struggles on his shoulders.
“It’s hard to do that when you’re running for your life,” King said. “I can’t totally blame Justin Fields because, when I watch the Bears play, he’s running for his life too much.”