The Chicago Bears have several big decisions to make this offseason. The team could be looking for a new head coach and a new quarterback.
After falling to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, the Bears are sitting at 5-9, and the playoffs look less and less likely. With another failed season, it could be easy for the Bears' brass to want to tear it all down and start from scratch. This is especially true when you consider the team will likely have two picks in the top 10 of the 2024 NFL Draft.
With the Bears potentially getting the No. 1 pick, thanks to last season's trade with the Carolina Panthers, it would be easy to consider taking a new QB. However, what if the Bears used both picks to add elite talent AROUND Justin Fields instead? Today, let's go over the three main reasons why the Bears should keep Fields at the helm.
Continuity is important
Fields has not had much continuity in his short career. The QB is already on his 2nd head coach and 2nd offensive coordinator. It is increasingly likely that the Bears will have a new HC and OC once again after the conclusion of this season. Starting over with a new HC, OC, and QB is a ton of change for one offseason and likely means the team won't be competing for a playoff spot once again in 2024.
With the Bears likely having two top picks in the draft, Fields could have a couple of elite weapons added around him. Instead of using one of those picks on a QB, one could be an offensive lineman, and the other could be a receiver. Adding more talent around Fields would allow him to truly flourish and show what he can do in Chicago.
Fields has chemistry with the top weapons
D.J. Moore has continued to be an above-average receiver since landing in Chicago. Cole Kmet has emerged as one of the most reliable tight ends in the league. It's clear that Fields has a solid connection with these guys, and that's not something that would immediately happen with a rookie QB.
Moore and Kmet have 76 and 61 receptions, respectively. The next closest on the team in receptions is Darnell Mooney, who has just 27 catches. Fields can prosper when he has talented pieces to distribute to. Moore is under contract through 2026, and Kmet is under contract until 2028. This means that Fields has his top targets under contract for the foreseeable future. Now, imagine if the quarterback gets one or two more targets this offseason.
There's no guarantee a rookie would be an upgrade
Caleb Williams and Drake Maye, two of the top QB prospects in 2024, are both considered great prospects. However, it's seemingly impossible to predict which QB will hit and which won't. As discussed here, teams have about a 42.9% chance of a first-round QB not working out.
Let's say the Bears draft a quarterback in the first round. If that QB doesn't pan out, you're looking at a few more wasted seasons and being back in the same scenario. Fields has not been elite thus far, but he's been serviceable. In 2023, Fields has 1,976 passing yards with 14 TDs and 8 INTs. The QB has also added 488 yards on the ground and 2 rushing TDs. Could a rookie QB perform better than that? Sure. But it's far from a foregone conclusion that a rookie would be better than Fields.