The Chicago Bears have spent the entire offseason embroiled in a quarterback saga.
2020’s quarterback platoon system between Mitch Trubisky and Nick Foles did not produce the desired results.
The Bears intended to fix the situation, but the fix wasn’t easy or fast.
They finally got their man by trading up from the 20th spot to 11th in the 2021 NFL Draft to get Ohio State’s superstar quarterback Justin Fields.
Good morning Bears fans here’s your new QB Justin Fields throwing 6 TDs in the College Football Playoff semifinals. pic.twitter.com/j87t058HLH
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) April 30, 2021
Before we talk about what Fields brings to Chicago, let’s take a trip back memory lane on what the Bears were up to this offseason in their pursuit of a franchise quarterback.
Plan A: Deshaun Watson/Russell Wilson
The first effort to fix their situation involved poaching a quarterback from another team.
Because the Bears passed up Deshaun Watson (and Patrick Mahomes) in favor of Mitch Trubisky, they were naturally interested in Watson.
Watson was disgruntled and potentially could be moving to a new team prior to his legal troubles.
When the Watson situation worsened, Russell Wilson was their next prospect.
Despite offering everything but the kitchen sink, the Seahawks opted not to trade Wilson.
About an hour ago DP was told that the #Bears offered Seattle the following for Russell Wilson:
-Three 1st Round picks
-a 3rd Round pick
-2 starters (Was not told who those starters were) pic.twitter.com/lOgH2ZuLVC— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) March 17, 2021
Plan B: Andy Dalton
On the heels of the failed trade to Wilson, the Bears decided to sign a one-year deal to Andy Dalton.
He was also named the starting quarterback for 2021 with Nick Foles listed as the backup.
Bears fans were disappointed and discouraged.
If the #Bears end up with Andy Dalton and Nick Foles as their quarterbacks for the 2021 NFL season, especially with all the hype around Russell Wilson, the disappointment would be at a whole new level, even for Bears fans. pic.twitter.com/aSm8K42m66
— Nicholas Moreano (@NicholasMoreano) March 15, 2021
In the meantime, Mitch Trubisky was released.
Plan C: Justin Fields
It is still difficult to believe that Justin Fields dropped out of the Top 10 draft picks.
Presumably, the Bears knew this could be a remote possibility, and they were very familiar with Justin Fields’ work.
From our Draft Kickoff Show: Why did the #Bears trade up for #OSU Justin Fields? Simple. His "generational talent" and his intelligence. A look at how it went down 👇🏻 👇🏻 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/RTVMBLgvty
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 30, 2021
On April 27, Bears GM Ryan Pace was asked about what the scenario could be for the Bears to trade up.
“When we trade up for guys, the first thing that comes to my mind… the conviction that we have throughout our building. Like, you know when there’s a consensus pick and you can feel it from our coaches and scouts and I know everybody’s going to be excited when we make that selection and walk out of the room. It gives me more confidence to go do that.”
The Bears Search For A Franchise Quarterback Ends…For Now
It has been decades since the Chicago Bears had a franchise quarterback.
Justin Fields enters a good situation with a crowded and veteran quarterback room that can take the pressure off of him.
Matt Nagy inherited Mitch Trubisky but has drafted Justin Fields so hopefully the franchise gives him the time, talent, and resources to evolve into their franchise quarterback.
After being drafted, Fields assessed how he fits with the Bears.
“I think I fit perfectly. If (Nagy) didn’t think I fit well, he wouldn’t have traded up. I think, just talking to him and getting to know how he communicates with his quarterbacks and his learning style, that’s going to make me a better quarterback and a better player. He’s going to teach me a lot, so I’m just excited to get up there and learn.”
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