As you know, it's the burden of every Bears fan to never let old QBs go. For a team that has had, historically speaking, one good quarterback ever, there's a charming irony to how hard fans in Chicago hold onto all the bad ones.
Take, for instance, Justin Fields. The Fields era came and went in Chicago, and then it came and went again in Pittsburgh. Fields has been, more or less, the same quarterback he's always been: an unreliable passer with electric playmaking abilities. He is simultaneously one of the most entertaining and infuriating quarterbacks to watch on any given week, which I'm sure will play well in New York City.
And if things don't work out with the Jets? I'll just let ESPN take you down that road. Fields' fit with the Jets is one of the biggest questions they have heading into the season, which is both a testament to his ability to stay in the league and also the latest example of how time truly is a flat circle.
ESPN is, like, three years late to the party with their latest Justin Fields question
What does Justin Fields do with this (last) chance?
"When Fields finally got out of Chicago last season, I was thrilled for him. Few franchises have been worse at QB development over the past several seasons than the Bears. The Steelers are another such candidate, as they have struggled to modernize their offensive approach or flood their roster with pass catchers for a young quarterback ... Rather surprisingly, the Jets gave him a starter's deal and an unimpeded path to the QB1 job. The Jets are another candidate for our "even worse than the Bears at quarterback development" list, but it's a new staff in New York -- namely, head coach Aaron Glenn and offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand. Both came from Detroit, and Glenn in particular watched his defenses get ravaged by Fields' legs twice a season. Fields' last three games as a Bear against Glenn's defense: 12 carries for 58 yards and a touchdown; 10 carries for 132 yards; 13 carries for 147 yards and two touchdowns ... And I won't be surprised if we see a 2022-like season for Fields. Back then, he posted 160 carries for 1,143 yards, the second most all time for a quarterback. If he can replicate that season with his legs, while getting more passing game help from Engstrand and Wilson than he ever got in Chicago, there just might be something there."
This is ... surprisingly optimistic? Perhaps Aaron Glenn is finally the one who figures out how to utilize Fields' unique skill set. I sort of trust Mike Tomlin's evaluation of players, but ESPN's point about Pittsburgh's inability to develop quarterbacks certainly isn't wrong.
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It'd be great to see Fields succeed, even with the Jets. But you'll excuse Bears fans for not exactly buying into the idea that he's just a few small adjustments away from being a star. Maybe the Jets should randomly sign Andy Dalton, just in case.