After trading Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers this past weekend, the Chicago Bears presumably will be having a rookie quarterback as their starting quarterback during the 2024 season.
The debate between Fields and Caleb Williams is over with the USC quarterback expected to be selected by the Bears with the first overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Unlike their previous selection of quarterbacks in the first round--Fields and Mitch Trubisky--Williams is expected to immediately be inserted as the team's starting quarterback upon being selected by the Bears.
In 2017, the Bears preferred Trubisky to sit behind Mike Glennon. Glennon was replaced by Trubisky after the fourth game of the season.
It was a similar approach that the Bears had for Fields and veteran Andy Dalton during the 2021 season. An injury forced Fields to replace Dalton as the team's starting quarterback in Week 3.
While the plan is for Williams to start right away for the Bears, it still would be in the team's best interest to add a veteran quarterback to the room. Brett Rypien was added during free agency but that likely was due to his knowledge of Shan Waldron's system than it was to have him mentor a rookie starting quarterback.
Ryan Tannehill would be a perfect veteran quarterback for the Chicago Bears to add.
A benefit to the Bears trading Fields to the Steelers is that Pittsburgh may no longer be an option for veteran quarterback Ryan Tannehill. With Tannehill on the market, the Bears would be a perfect spot.
Tannehill would be placed in a similar role that he was in this past season with the Tennessee Titans. After opening the season as the Titans' starting quarterback, Tannehill served as a pseudo-mentor for rookie Will Levis after Levis was named the starter for the remainder of the season in Week 7.
Tannehill, a former first-round pick of the Miami Dolphins with lofty expectations, would be an ideal veteran for Williams to lean on as he makes his transition to the NFL.