Did Justin Fields turn up heat on Chicago Bears QB competition
Do the Chicago Bears have a quarterback competition yet? Matt Nagy has handled Justin Fields delicately and has not added any serious pressure to his plate as he has eased him into the NFL. It is smart not to cast high expectations on him, and to make sure that he has all of the little things ironed out before getting his shot in the NFL.
Nagy has said that he will slow play Fields but at the same time admitted that as Fields shows them he can handle more, then they will put more on his plate. So, Nagy went into the season saying that the Chicago Bears do not have a QB competition and that Andy Dalton is the starter.
The next step is not to say that Fields is the starter. However, the next step should be to say that Fields has a chance to compete for it.
Matt Nagy must admit the Chicago Bears have competition
Fields only put up points on three of the seven drives he started, but with two touchdowns and a rhythm established, the offense started to look at its best with Fields. Beyond that, his combination of speed and arm strength is a dimension no other QB on the roster has.
Nagy has continued to say all of the right things. He did not deny anything about week one but rather focuses on tomorrow. Nagy says that if Fields worries about tomorrow and excels tomorrow, and then the next day that week one will take care of itself.
That should mean that tomorrow the Chicago Bears put more on his plate. Tomorrow, Fields gets a snap or two that was originally designed for Andy Dalton. Then we see how he responds the next day.
It is fair to say that Fields will not catch Dalton by the Bears second preseason game but to admit that the two are now splitting reps with the ones would be a big step. It would open the door for Fields to take that step over the next two weeks.
Nobody needs to hear who the starter is, but we should start to hear that Dalton is not as safe as he was two weeks.