Why Moving On From Justin Fields is Right Decision by Bears

Most media outlets and GMs across the league came to the same conclusion after this year’s NFL combine: The Chicago Bears are likely to move on from Justin Fields this offseason and draft a new savior for the franchise (with the likely pick being USC’s Caleb Williams). While this seems like a universal decision to those outside of Chicago, Bears fans have drawn their lines in the sand regarding QB1. The ‘Fields Cult’ and ‘Caleb Clique’ have spent the better part of four months debating on social media what the right move for the team is.

Let me be clear: Justin Fields being the answer at quarterback would have been the much-preferred route to take. Having the No. 1 overall pick with a prospect like Williams, while knowing your quarterback is secured, would have been a dream scenario. The Bears could have traded down several times and identified any number of offensive weapons and defensive specialists to catapult this team into Super Bowl contention the following year.

Now, there are several Bears fans in Chicago who truly believe that the Bears are in this situation. However, if this were the case, I don’t see any reason why Poles would be so coy on the matter. After all, he was fairly clear last year that the pick was for sale and that Justin would be the QB for the upcoming season.

If Poles isn’t totally sold, why would Bears fans be? What irrefutable evidence have we seen to lead to the loyalty we have seen from this fanbase?

Is Fields the most talented quarterback the Bears have ever had? I would argue that while he is undoubtedly the most athletic quarterback in Bears history, Jay Cutler was a more talented quarterback in terms of playing the position, making reads, and getting the ball out of time. He was a better thrower of the football than Fields and was no statue in the pocket.

Is Fields the highest-drafted quarterback or the highest-touted prospect the Bears have ever had? The highest drafted would be Mitch Trubiksy, who was selected second overall only a few years prior. Fields was taken 11th overall and the fourth QB in his own draft class. Trubisky’s tenure matches up fairly well with Justin’s (both in terms of games played and coaching carousels), and Trubisky had a slightly better rating.

Is Fields the longest-tenured Bears quarterback? This one isn’t even close. That title belongs to Sid Luckman, who has 117 games. Jay Cutler has 104 starts under his belt for a more recent player.

Did Fields have the best winning percentage of any Bears quarterback? That title belongs to Jim McMahon, who finished with a 77.1% winning percentage (taking into account a min. Number of games played). Fields, in contrast, currently boasts a 27.5% winning percentage.

When evaluating a fan base’s blind loyalty to their quarterback, some factor usually stands out, whether it is talent, draft status, tenure, or winning. Fields has not yet represented any of those factors covered above. There are quarterbacks in Bears history who made much more of a positive impact on the franchise and were kicked to the curb (see Trubiksy, Mitch).

Fields is by no means the worst quarterback the Bears have ever had, but he’s certainly not close to the best. Whether or not he was given a fair shake is a topic for another column, but Poles has to do what is best for the Bears, not Fields. The reality is that Williams is a much better prospect coming out than Fields was, and now you can have him cheap for the next four years. Even if you think he will be as effective as Fields next year, you must take him.

Fields is a good guy, works extremely hard, and, by all accounts, is a good teammate. He makes a handful of explosive plays every game that gets fans excited. However, after three years, Bears fans still don’t know what they are going to get week after week, and maybe that’s just who Justin Fields is—a hard worker who says the right things, leaves it on the field, and can make plays we haven’t seen before, but doesn’t always trust his eyes and comes up short with the game on the line.

Maybe Justin Fields is the perfect Bears quarterback, after all.