On March 24th, the Chicago Bears announced that Andy Dalton would go into the 2021 season as their starting quarterback. Not much of a shocker when his only competition was Nick Foles.
QB1. pic.twitter.com/TuyrAcpoCM
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) March 25, 2021
When Andy Dalton spoke to reporters, he said, “They told me I was the starter. That was one of the reasons I wanted to come here. … That’s the assurance I got.”
It’s kind of funny how the NFL works. A little over a month later, the Bears drafted Ohio State QB Justin Fields, who we all know will soon replace Andy Dalton. In fact, if history tells us anything, Fields will replace Dalton this season. However, due to the promise they gave Dalton, more than likely, he’ll still be the week one starter. But according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Justin Fields could be winning over Bears management.
QB1 energy ‼️
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) May 15, 2021
(via @JFowlerESPN) pic.twitter.com/lA9JGF23mD
When the Chicago Bears drafted Justin Fields 15th overall, it was more than just a shocker. It was the best move they could’ve possibly made. It’s not every day that the second-rated quarterback falls to the 15th pick. We still have a ways to go before the 2021 NFL season begins, but if I were the Bears, I’d prepare to make Justin Fields my week one starter. If we’re keeping it one-hundred, the Bears owe it to their fans.
The Bears Owe Their Roster and Fans
Let’s go back to the 2017 NFL draft. The Bears had the second overall pick and had their choice of National Champion Deshaun Watson, Patrick Mahomes, or Mitchell Trubisky. Need I say more? The 2018 Bears gave Chicago some hope for the future, but in the end, the extremely talented team underachieved. Their defense was elite, and their offense had some firepower, but Trubisky wasn’t good enough. Four seasons later, Trubisky is now riding the bench in Buffalo.
Needless to say, Bears fans were not happy with the Andy Dalton signing. It’s hard to sell your fanbase on Andy Dalton when everyone and their grandma thought you would trade for Russell Wilson. Before the draft, Bears-faithful had high hopes for the off-season, only for them to basically fall apart. It seemed as if the Bears would be in for another long and disappointing season until they drafted Justin Fields. Not only did the Bears select (possibly) the second-best QB in the draft, but it gave their fans hope for the immediate future.
Due to their selection of Mitchell Trubisky, the Bears organization squandered a Super Bowl-caliber roster and put their fans through three miserable years. All the while, Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes have been lighting it up for their respective teams. Truthfully, the Bears owe both their fanbase and defense a heartfelt apology. So what better way to make it up to them than to start Justin Fields? The Bears aren’t as good as they were in 2018, but they still possess a well-rounded roster that made the 2021 playoffs.
Besides, if the past few seasons have taught us anything, young quarterbacks are ready to play sooner than we think.
Young Quarterbacks Don’t Sit Too Long
Every year, teams that take a quarterback high in the draft tell us that they want their rookie to sit and learn under their starter. Andy Reid and the Chiefs did so with Patrick Mahomes. But given recent history outside of the Chiefs, their situation was clearly an outlier. It’s the same thing with Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. Not many quarterbacks are going to sit one, two, let alone three years. Although Packers quarterback Jordan Love might be stuck on the bench even longer, that has more to say about the player than the situation.
Going back to the 2020 season, we saw three of the four first-round quarterbacks start at least nine games. The season prior, all three first-round quarterbacks started a minimum of seven games. In 2018, all five first-round quarterbacks started no less than seven games. Outside of Lamar Jackson, four of the five started at least 11 games. I could go on, but do you see what I’m saying?
Whatever the reason may be, teams eventually start their rookies. Some struggle, some flourish, but if they can play, you’ll see it. Besides, nothing prepares you for playing in the NFL like literally playing in the NFL. So if all the camp reports on Justin Fields are positive by the time the 2021 season rolls around, there’s no reason the Bears shouldn’t strongly consider starting him. Especially given the short leash Bears head coach Matt Nagy and GM Ryan Pace are on. If this winds up being their last season in Chicago, they might as well go out playing the rookie.
Check out more NFL related articles by the Belly Up Sports team.
