Chicago Bears: 4 hot takes on Justin Fields, Jaylon Johnson, and more

Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson’s turnover problems show why it makes sense for the Bears to sit Justin Fields

The top two picks in the 2021 draft have had some difficulties adjusting to the NFL, each having five interceptions through their first two games. Some Bears fans have pointed to their performances as reasons for why Chicago should wait to play Justin Fields.

Do Lawrence and Wilson’s early-season struggles show why the Bears should sit Fields?

I’m ok with the idea that some rookie quarterbacks need to sit for a period of time before taking over as starters. With that being said, some quarterbacks are more pro-ready than others. Justin Fields is not Jordan Love or Trey Lance, prospects who have physical tools but are a little rough around the edges.

Fields has three years of power five college football experience under his belt. He’s played in conference and national championship games. He was the most accurate college quarterback PFF has charted since the company started using a grading system on college QBs in 2015 and only threw nine interceptions on 618 pass attempts. Trying to paint Fields as an inexperienced who needs to be sheltered and coddled is just ridiculous.

In order to take the next step in his development, Justin Fields needs to start

There are limitations to what you can get from practice. NFL game speed is a different animal; it’s not like practice, preseason, or even college. I’m not sure how much more Fields is going to improve from week to week on just practices alone. He’s had the playbook for almost five months and has been building up chemistry with teammates since early summer. Fields had a good training camp, preseason, and has been ok in his limited regular-season action. The next step for him is to be a full-time starter.

Rookies make mistakes 

I don’t believe turnover problems are a good reason to sit rookies. Growing pains are a part of the process of adjusting to the NFL. The sooner a player makes mistakes, the sooner he can learn from them and move on to the next phase of his career.

Having the top two picks in this year’s draft starting and struggling right away just proves that the Bears shouldn’t obsess over protecting Fields from making mistakes because it is part of being a 22-year-old quarterback playing at the highest level. The sooner Fields encounters the obstacles and challenges of being a franchise quarterback, the better.

Bottom line: 

It’s totally normal for players to make mistakes early on in their careers, and it is actually an essential part of the growing process. Opting to sit Fields probably won’t hurt him long-term, but I’m just not sure if it’s necessary.