Bears' Handling Of Justin Fields Eerily Mirrors Another Ex-1st Round QB

A pang of curiosity struck me when thinking about Justin Fields. I wondered if there was any quarterback in recent history that has experienced a situation similar to his. Not so much what he did on the field, mind you. This is more about the issues around him, from regime changes to other factors out of his control. It wanted to know how said quarterback, presuming he exists, handled those circumstances. Some names somewhat fit the bill, like Chad Pennington in New York and Joey Harrington in Detroit. Neither was quite the same as Fields, though. It wasn't until I dug deeper that I came to a startling revelation. Not only is there a quarterback who experienced an almost identical first two off-seasons like Fields, but he also wore the same uniform.

Justin Fields is following the Rex Grossman path right now.

New coach in his second year (Defensive minded)

Grossman was drafted in 2003 when Dick Jauron was still the head coach. The staff was clearly trying to find a jolt for the position after the ugly Chris Chandler-Kordell Stewart experience from the previous year. Grossman didn't play most of the season but did start three games. He looked uneven during that time and saw his things end with a broken finger. Jauron was fired after a 7-9 finish. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAUwJTFocw4&ab_channel=ESPN Fields knows the feeling. Matt Nagy had the same idea when drafting him, wanted to sit the QB for all of 2021, and saw that plan ruin in less than two weeks. Fields looked uneven as a starter and saw ended the year injured. Former defensive coordinator Lovie Smith arrived with his Tampa-2 scheme in 2004. Now Matt Eberflus will do the same in 2022.

Passing specialist hired as OC from hottest NFL offense.

Smith's plan for the offense seemed straightforward. Take somebody from the hottest offense in the NFL and have them run the show in Chicago. Terry Shea was the quarterbacks coach for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2003. They finished 1st in points scored and 2nd in total yards. He lasted one season, finishing 32nd in points scored and total yards with the Bears. Grossman getting injured after three games didn't help. [video width="1280" height="720" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Tom-Thayer-Justin-Fields-needs-to-lean-into-his-strengths-even-more2022_07_14_15_34_20.mp4"][/video] Now here comes Luke Getsy. Another passing game specialist from one of the NFL's best offenses. The Green Bay Packers were 10th in points and yards last season and #1 in both the year before that. He has worked with Pro Bowl quarterbacks just like Shea did. Eberflus has the same idea as Smith. Will he have a similarly quick hook ready if things go poorly? That seems unlikely.

Defensive focus in the draft.

Stop if you've heard this before. The Bears take defensive players with their first two picks before taking a wide receiver in the 3rd round. That is exactly what they did in the 2022 draft with Kyler Gordon, Jaquan Brisker, and Velus Jones. Except the same thing happened 18 years prior, in 2004. Chicago grabbed defensive tackles Tommie Harris and Tank Johnson in the 1st and 2nd rounds. Then they scooped up Bernard Berrian in the 3rd. It is hard to fault the approach. Harris went to three Pro Bowls, and Berrian was one of the better deep threats in football for a few years. GM Jerry Angelo appeared to stick to his board and was rewarded. Ryan Poles did much the same. The difference here is the Bears spent loads of money on free agents like John Tait, Ruben Brown, and Thomas Jones in free agency back then to help Grossman. Justin Fields didn't get the same courtesy this time around. [video width="854" height="480" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NFL-Draft-20052022_07_18_19_17_10.mp4"][/video]

Next year's draft will tell the story.

Angelo took his big swing on offense during the 2005 draft. With the 4th overall pick, he had a massive opportunity. The result was running back Cedric Benson. Forget the fact Chicago could've drafted Aaron Rodgers to replace Grossman outright. They also had a chance at future Pro Bowlers like Jammal Brown, Roddy White, and Logan Mankins. Benson did little to change the Bears' fortunes on offense. If anything, his arrival only created turmoil in the locker room. If Poles keeps to the trend, Fields has offensive help coming in the 2023 draft. The good news is it will not be a running back this time. Smart money says it'll either be an offensive lineman or a wide receiver. Can Poles succeed where Angelo failed? Fields' trajectory in Chicago may hinge on it.