Chicago Bears: 3 advantages Justin Fields has over Andy Dalton

1. Justin Fields was a higher investment for the Chicago Bears

When general manager Ryan Pace signed Dalton, it was for a 1-year deal worth up to $10 million. It wasn’t much. In fact, Dalton’s cap hit this season is actually only $5 million.

The Bears are not committed to Dalton in the least bit. As funny as it sounds, the Bears are actually far more committed to Nick Foles than they are Dalton — at least on paper.

Dalton is a 33-year-old who threw for under 200 yards per game and just 14 touchdowns in 11 games last season. The investment isn’t much, when you look at the facts.

Fields, on the other hand, is a first-round draft pick in a class chock full of quarterbacks. Pace opted to trade next year’s first rounder, plus a couple of other picks, in order to move up and grab Fields.

Dalton’s signing has no bearing on the Bears’ future beyond 2021 — none. Fields? That’s a different story.

Fields should be tied to the Bears’ future for a minimum of four years at this point. The Bears are now without a first rounder next year, and Fields has to prove it was well-worth the risk.

While some say it would be better for Fields to sit a while, that fact simply is not true. The Bears’ 2022 offseason has a lot to do with Fields playing and playing well. If he plays well as a rookie, the Bears are far more likely to have free agent interest next offseason. That’s especially important if a guy like Allen Robinson bolts in free agency.

Fields is the higher investment, and the Bears’ future hinges on his play even right now.