The Chicago Bears have long been one of the most inefficient organizations in professional sports with just 2 championships in the last 77 seasons. They also happen to be the flagship franchise in the NFL.

Based on the latter description, the position of QB1 should be an honored position and not one that is easily manipulated by the emotion of fans, observers, media and coaches. Justin Fields is the Bears starting quarterback, and he will remain in that position until general manager Ryan Poles determines that he isn't good enough to start for the Bears any longer.

That could happen at some point this season, because Fields has started 31 times for the Bears in his 3 seasons with the team. To this point, he has not established himself as a consistent passer or anything winning quarterback in the NFL.

Fields is injured, but he is still the Bears No. 1 quarterback

Currently, Fields is sidelined because of a thumb injury that keeps him from gripping the ball firmly enough to play the position precisely. Tyson Bagent, a rookie free agent from Shepherd University in West Virginia, looked better than any of the other quarterbacks besides Fields in training camp. He is the Bears backup quarterback, and he is preparing to make his 3rd start Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. Bagent is filling the position while Fields recovers and returns to the lineup, possibly in Week 10 against the Carolina Panthers.

Bagent has done some decent things and should be admired for his ability to make the team and perform adequately as a fill-in, but he is not a starting NFL quarterback. He is not Chicago's version of 49ers starter Brock Purdy, the last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft.

What Fields has going for him are the same assets that he had when the Bears drafted him in 2021 from Ohio State. He is a brilliant athlete who is one of the best running quarterbacks in recent memory. Fields has the quickness to get away from the pass rush at times. He has a strong enough arm to throw the ball downfield with some accuracy when he gets protection from his offensive line.

Fields issues remain intact

There are plenty of questions about Fields and his development to this point, but his physical gifts and his stature are clearly assets. At 6-3 and 228 pounds, he has the ideal size to play quarterback in the NFL. He also has remarkable speed for the position, and he may be the best running quarterback in the league. While Lamar Jackson of the Ravens and a healthy Kyler Murray of the Cardinals could give him an argument, Fields' running ability is something that all opponents have to game plan against.

However, when it comes to throwing from the pocket, Fields has been woefully inconsistent. In the 6 games that he has played this season, he has struggled badly in 4 of them. He threw 3 touchdown passes and 5 interceptions in losses to the Packers, Buccaneers, Chiefs and Vikings.

However, in 2 games against the Broncos and Commanders, Fields was quite sharp. He threw 8 TD passes and just 1 interception. The Bears built a huge lead over the Broncos before Denver mounted a come-from-behind victory. Fields led the Bears to a surprisingly one-sided 40-20 victory over Washington.

Those two games represent the way Fields can play when he was at his best. The fact that he put them together in back-to-back games is encouraging.

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Bagent was prepared to step in

There is no doubt that Bagent is an overachiever. Quarterbacks from Division II schools simply don't make NFL rosters, let alone win jobs as starters.

Bagent was forced into the lineup in the team's Week 6 loss to the Vikings after Fields suffered his thumb injury. He was not overwhelmed by the moment, as he completed 10 of 14 passes for 83 yards and had a chance to lead the team to a comeback victory before late interception scuttled those chances.

He led the Bears to a 30-12 triumph over the Raiders the following week, completing 21 of 29 passes for 162 yards and 1 touchdown while avoiding an interception. Bagent was quite sharp, and that allowed long-suffering Bears fans to call for his ascendancy to the QB1 position.

However, the Raiders were just lost on that day. Bagent could not keep the Bears in contention against the Chargers in Week 8 on the road, as he threw 2 interceptions while completing 25 of 37 passes for 232 yard. He did not throw a TD pass.

Bagent will get another start Sunday against the Saints. However, the moment that Fields is healthy, he will regain his starting position.

Whether he remains as the starter in 2024 is still to be determined, but he is QB1 for the 2023 season.