The 2023 season came to an end on Sunday for the Chicago Bears as they lost to the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field by a score of 17-9. With the offseason officially underway while having a plethora of resources to improve the roster for 2024, including the first overall draft selection and over 60 million in salary cap space, Chicago will be able to address all of their needs. The one area drawing the most interest is on offense, as certainty surrounds both quarterback Justin Fields and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, as the team should likely part ways with both.
Neither Fields and Getsy Made Notable Progress In 2023
Before the start of the 2023 season, there were high expectations for both Fields and Getsy as general manager Ryan Poles had used the offseason to build up the offensive talent. Poles signed free agent offensive guard Nate Davis, tight end Robert Tonyan, and running back D'Onta Foreman while drafting offensive tackle Darnell Wright, wide receiver Tyler Scott, and running back Roschon Johnson. The most significant offseason acquisition was wide receiver DJ Moore in the trade with Carolina, which also gradually led to the first overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft.
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Despite the additions to the offense, Fields' passing numbers in 2023 were almost identical to what he generated in 2022, and that is with playing two games fewer than last year. The third-year quarterback finished with 16 passing touchdowns, nine interceptions, 2,562 passing yards, and a quarterback rating of 86.3. There was not one massive jump in any of Fields' passing stats this season, despite being sacked 11 times fewer than 2022 and having a wide receiver in Moore, who had over 1300 receiving yards and nearly 100 receptions.
Half of Fields' passing touchdowns came in two games, as against he threw four touchdowns in back-to-back games against Denver and Washington. Additionally, Chicago's quarterback, through three seasons, still has more contests throwing for less than 100 yards than passing for 300 yards or more. The one area Fields did improve on from last year to this year was interceptions, as he had six interceptions before his thumb injury and only three following his returns, of which two came on Hail Mary throws.
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Similar to Fields, there was no significant progress made by Getsy despite having another year to develop his offensive scheme with the infusion of more talent. Chicago's offensive coordinator oversaw a passing offense that only improved by five spots from 2022 despite having a top-five rushing attack again. There was no consistency when it came to offensive output, as there were only two times when the Bears' offense scored more than 30 points in a game while scoring less than 21 points in nine contests.
The main issue with Getsy has been in-game play-calling, as he lacks consistency in attacking opposing defenses and has too often become too conservative. There have been times when Chicago's play-caller has taken the ball out of his quarterback's hands to where it appears that there is no trust for his quarterback's ability. Getsy's offense has not been able to work with Fields' shortcomings, which is a failure on the offensive coordinator to find ways to get the best out of the quarterback.
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Fields And Getsy Create More Problems If They Are Retained
Having a choice of any quarterback prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft, it is in Chicago's best interest to start fresh with new faces instead of keeping either Getsy or Fields. With the first overall selection, the Bears can attract any offensive-minded coach to become the team's new offensive coordinator to pair with whoever the passing prospect is that is selected by Poles and the front office. Starting fresh provides more options than keeping either Getsy or Fields, as if one of them were to be brought back in 2024 and struggled, the Bears would be in an even worse position than they are now.
Bringing Fields back from the 2024 season, after two years in which there was no extensive growth, as a quarterback would be extremely risky if none takes place next year while a rookie prospect excels immediately. Additionally, retaining Chicago's current quarterback for another season would shorten the list of potential offensive coordinator replacements as a coach would need to develop an offense specifically tied to the traits of the team's quarterback, one that has proven that he can only play in one type of scheme.
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If a decision is made to keep Getsy and move on from Fields, the decision would be costly for Chicago both on a short-term and long-term basis. Giving the current offensive coordinator a chance to draft a quarterback of his choice could cause quite a few problems, as the coordinator will likely be out of a job if he struggles again in 2024. Keeping Getsy for one more year could be a waste of a rookie season for a quarterback prospect and lead to the rookie having to learn multiple offensive schemes in back-to-back seasons.
The last two seasons for the Bears have led to almost identical passing results from the offense, with Fields and Getsy being the two significant contributors. With the offseason starting, Chicago can restart their offense with a new offensive coordinator and rookie quarterback ahead of the 2024 season. Although Fields and Getsy have their strengths and have moments of looking elite, they have struggled with consistency over the past two seasons, with Poles having a chance now to move on from both of them.
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