The first two days of NFL Free Agency have served as the league telling the Chicago Bears that they have a bad quarterback in Justin Fields.
Even before free agency, the signs were there.
When the Chicago Bears fired offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, fans celebrated while wondering why any team would be interested in hiring Getsy as an offensive coordinator. Getsy was a popular candidate for offensive coordinator vacancies as he had interviews with the New England Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders, and New Orleans Saints.
Getsy was hired by the Raiders, a sign that the team believed the failures of the Bears' offense over the last two seasons were due to bad quarterback play and not coaching.
While Getsy and the Raiders had an interest in Fields, the team ultimately elected to sign veteran Gardner Minshew to serve as a bridge quarterback. Teams passing up on trading for Fields has been the popular trend at the start of NFL Free Agency with the Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, and Pittsburgh Steelers all signing veteran options over the Bears' current starting quarterback.
NFL teams have made their thoughts on Justin Fields clear.
Teams passing on Fields may not be a true evaluation of Fields being a worse option as a quarterback than say, Sam Darnold. But. for as much as Fields' supporters don't want to admit this, he is an unknown commodity at the quarterback position. Given the uncertainty that surrounds Fields' development as a passing quarterback, it would be a risk for a team to give up draft capital for the Bears quarterback while also accepting the fifth-year option.
Having said that, the Falcons handed out a three-year deal to former Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney. Mooney's deal with the Falcons is worth more than the extension that the Bears offered the wide receiver prior to the 2023 season.
It's another sign that the league places blame on Fields for the shortcomings of the Bears' offense.
nearly 40% of deep targets to Darnell Mooney have been inaccurate in his career
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) March 12, 2024
over that span the #1 most accurate QB on deep targets (20+ yards downfield) is Mooney's new QB:
Kirk Cousins
READ:https://t.co/eyBAf68Q34 pic.twitter.com/aEVJ9TELjc
Fields has proven to be one of the most exciting players at the quarterback position but the league's evaluation is now clear: Fields is not a starting quarterback in the NFL. It's a realization that the Bears have likely made as well, given the momentum toward the team selecting Caleb Williams at the top of the 2024 NFL Draft.