The Chicago Bears have reportedly come up with a deal with quarterback PJ Walker, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. While the exact details of the contract are yet to be specified as of this writing, Walker's role is clearly to be the backup of Justin Fields, whose status as the team's QB1 going forward was made clearer when Chicago opted to trade rights to the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to the Carolina Panthers, Walker's former team.
In 2022, PJ Walker played a total of six games for the Panthers, including five starts when Carolina relied on him to play the role under center amid the injury and struggles of Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold. He finished that season with 731 passing yards and three touchdowns against three interceptions while completing 59.4 percent of his throws. In Chicago, Walker can help Justin Fields develop chemistry with another former Panthers player in wide receiver DJ Moore.
The wideout was part of the package the Panthers sent to Chicago in exchange for the said No. 1 pick in this year's NFL Draft.
Justin Fields was backed up in 2022 by Trevor Siemian, Nathan Peterman, and Tim Boyle, none of whom looked particularly impressive. Siemian is the only backup left in that group, so Walker can be expected to compete for the No. 2 QB role behind Justin Fields, who passed for over 2,200 yards and rushed for more than 1,100 yards last season.
With Justin Fields running the show, the Bears averaged 19.2 points, 307.8 total yards, and 2.2 touchdowns per game in 2022, though, those numbers are expected to improve in 2023.
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