Justin Fields enters his second season in the NFL with an entirely new coaching staff.
The overhaul by the Chicago Bears started when GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy failed to take the team to the playoffs in 2021.
The team would soon decide to move on from the two, firing them both after the end of the regular season.
While Bears fans called for these firings, it now puts Fields into a new system for the 2022 season.
The Bears need to fire Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy tomorrow. Hire Rick Smith and let him interview coaches in Week 16.
— Ross Read (@RossRead) December 13, 2021
With Fields being a younger quarterback, he needs stability to grow as an NFL player.
The shake-up currently doesn’t give him that stability required.
Will Fields End Up Like Mitch Trubisky Did In Chicago?
Mitch Trubisky was a quarterback bust for the Bears.
The team wasted draft picks to move up and draft him ahead of talent like Patrick Mahomes.
Bears/Pace QB:
2017: Sign Mike Glennon 3 years, $45m
2017: Trade No. 3 overall, two 3rds+4th for No. 2 overall (Mitch Trubisky)
2018: Release Glennon
2020: Trade 4th for Nick Foles
2020: Decline 5th year for Trubisky
2021: Sign Andy Dalton for $10m (Dallas signed him for $7m LY) pic.twitter.com/kWwN5yuMfk— Scott Dochterman (@ScottDochterman) March 16, 2021
He also faced the same situation Fields is currently having when the Bears brought in Nagy during Trubisky’s second season.
That now raises the question of if Fields will be like Trubisky in the end with Chicago.
The two share a very similar path in Chicago.
So what will make this any different than what happened with Trubisky?
The Bears New General Manager Is Working To Get Fields Protection
Coaching stability isn’t the only thing Fields will need from the Bears in his career.
He needs a front five to protect him from defensive players running him down.
The Bears’ offensive line was the worst in the NFL for 2021.
They went on to allow 58 sacks for the season.
With 7 sacks allowed by the #Bears today, that gives them 58 given up on the 2021 season.
That's 2nd worst all-time in franchise history behind the 66 they allowed in 2004.
— Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. (@wiltfongjr) January 9, 2022
For the Bears to fix this issue, they need a retool of their offensive line.
The retooling has begun with the Bears signing offensive lineman Lucas Patrick.
Patrick played with Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay during his career.
So he experience protecting a quarterback that sometimes decides to run with the ball.
He also has a history with the Bears’ newest offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.
The two worked together when they were in Green Bay.
Patrick can also move to whatever spot the Bears need him at on the front five.
But it would be best to have him as the center so he can work with Fields.
WIth Patrick knowing Getsy’s offensive system, putting Patrick at center helps him teach that system to Fields.
How Committed Are The Bears To Fields And The New Coaches?
Commitment from the Bears’ top brass will be the most significant factor in the success or failure of Fields.
We already know that the Bears gave up some draft picks to move up and acquire Fields in 2021.
But how committed are they to GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus?
Commitment will be the most crucial part for both the Bears and Fields.
If they fire the coaching staff at the sight of problems, Fields will be starting all over again with another new system.
His progression as a quarterback hinges on stability.
He needs coaching stability and offensive line stability.
Two things that the Bears failed to give Trubisky, turning him into a bust for the Bears.
NEXT: Bears Looking To Retool Defense For 2022 Season
