Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields is one of the most intriguing players in the NFL. Fields, who is entering his second year, was drafted by the Bears with the 11th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

Throughout his rookie season, Justin Fields showed flashes of what he is capable of. He finished his first year with 12 total appearances, including 10 starts. When on the field, he threw for 1,870 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.

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On the ground, Justin Fields added another 420 yards and two touchdowns.

Now as he heads into year two, some people are worried about the position that the Bears have put him in.

One notable person to speak out on Fields' behalf is former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum.

Tannenbaum recently went on ESPN’s Get Up. When on the show, he spoke about Fields, and how the organization has approached his situation.

Tannenbaum stated, “I think it’s reckless what they're doing. I would have taken Chris Morgan, their offensive line coach, Matt Eberflus, and Ryan Poles, and I would have kicked everybody else out of the building and said, “we are drafting offensive lineman for at least this draft, and maybe in 2023.”

The Bears have brought Fields in to be their franchise player, but haven't done much to make sure he succeeds. Their current offensive line is among the worst in the NFL, and they didn't do much to address it. During the draft, they did not select an offensive lineman until the fifth round.

The same can be said for the Bears' wide receivers. Darnell Mooney is set to be their WR1, and while he is a proven receiver, he isn't a WR1 on most teams around the NFL. But this doesn't mean that he can't take that next step during this season.

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Throughout his first two seasons in the NFL, Mooney has been the Bears' most successful piece on offense. He has appeared in 33 games while earning 23 total starts. Mooney has recorded 142 receptions, 1,696 receiving yards, and eight receiving touchdowns.

Outside of Mooney, the Bears' wide receiver room is underwhelming. Many of them are young and unproven.
The team did bring in former first-round pick N’Keal Harry in a trade with the New England Patriots. Unfortunately, Harry will miss the start of the season due to ankle surgery.

The situation that Fields is in right now hasn't given him the best opportunity to improve. Instead, it could do the exact opposite and cause him to regress.

Tannenbaum compared Justin Fields' current path to that of former NFL quarterback David Carr. Tannenbaum stated, “Justin Fields is a great talent, not a good talent, a great talent. But, he may turn into David Carr. He has no chance to get through 17 games”

During his time at Ohio State, Fields proved to be one of the most explosive quarterbacks in college football history. The Bears have a player with elite potential on their side. But if they aren’t careful, he may have to fulfill this potential someplace else.