How to Save Justin Fields and the Bears Makes a Lot of Sense

As much as when I squint I can see Fields as a tier 2 QB in the NFL, its too late. The clock is about to toll on that rookie contract. As much as I hate to admit it, trade Fields for what you can get and take another shot.

(https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/news/2024-nfl-mock-draft-bears-trade-justin-fields-to-raiders-and-select-drake-maye-patriots-land-caleb-williams/)

Good article here on the Chargers who now find themselves with a top 5 QB (top 8?) and an aging expensive team around him. 

www.theringer.com/nfl/2023/11/29/23980566/los-angeles-chargers-brandon-staley-justin-herbert-reset

"Aggressive free agent signings and draft picks haven’t worked out, and now the team is 4-7 and likely out of the playoff hunt. It’s time to look to the future. There’s just one problem: It won’t include a quarterback on a rookie contract."

I think that's most likely to be the outcome.  

The Bears have eff'd this up as much as it could be eff'd up.  First, they let a lame duck GM draft a new QB and pair him with a HC who was on the hot seat and therefore was coaching to save his job rather than develop a new QB.  So he go zero 1st team reps his first TC and his whole first year was wasted when Pace & Nagy were finally canned a year too late.  Then they hired a rookie HC and a rookie OC, neither of whom had any track record for developing a young QB, and started a full rebuild (again a year too late).  That left only 1 season, his 3rd, to make up for lost time but Getsy couldn't do that cuz he constantly turtles up and won't let Fields sink or swim with the things he needs to get better at.

Now, the financial clock is running out and they still don't have a good handle on what Fields ceiling could be.  

Watch them screw it up again by keeping Glus and drafting a new QB to repeat the process.

Paying Fields could be a big problem, according to Josh Lucas.  He says Fields’ agent has a history of playing hard-ass, and will demand Fields is paid like top 1 or 2 QB’s, although he’s not worth that much. On the other side, we know from the Smith trade that Poles will not budge from his number.  The worst case scenario is that Poles does the 5th year option and then can’t do the extension without breaking the bank.  Lucas says this worry may be another reason that Poles may want to draft his own QB.

Saw that too.  I don't think you have to worry about that right now as they can control him 2 more years for a reasonable cost.  There's no way you can hand Fields a long term deal right now -- he simply hasn't proved it.

But yeah, if his agent is someone they simply don't want to deal with, that's another mark against keeping him.