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The Chicago Bears hold the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft as a result of the trade with the Carolina Panthers ahead of last year's draft, and while quarterback prospects like Caleb Williams or Drake Maye are enticing for any front office, veteran Bears players are questioning whether moving on from Justin Fields would be the right thing to do for general manager Ryan Poles.
“It's like, if you get rid of him, what are we doing?” an anonymous Bears veteran said, via Jeremy Fowler and Courtney Cronin of ESPN. “It's like last year when they got rid of [linebacker] Roquan [Smith] and Rob [pass-rusher Robert Quinn]. That was our captain. We knew we were going down.”
There was similar sentiment from Bears players, wanting to win with Fields now instead of wait for a rookie quarterback who was selected with the No. 1 pick to be ready.
“If we do that next year, it's like where are we going?” a Bears starter said, via Fowler and Cronin. “So we've got to go through this for another year until he [a rookie quarterback] is able to compete for a Super Bowl?”
Justin Fields came on strong this season after struggling early in the season. There is still some fear for some regarding Fields' ability as a passer.
Regardless, it will be interesting to see whether Ryan Poles goes with a quarterback like Caleb Williams or Drake Maye, or repeats last season with a trade back to build up the roster even more around Fields.
Either option is defensible. Fields' strong play after a slow start made the Bears competitive down the stretch, and if they had gotten a few bounces here and there, they might have been in the playoffs. Maybe Poles believes Fields' performance is sustainable. However, it could be smart to get a new quarterback on a rookie contract.
