Justin Fields had one of his best games of the season against the Atlanta Falcons. He accounted for over 300 total yards and two touchdowns in a decisive 37-17 route. It was a statement game in many ways. Fields understood the pressure he was under. Everybody has discussed his future in Chicago because the Bears were on the cusp of landing the #1 overall pick. GM Ryan Poles would be free to take any quarterback of his choosing. If Fields wanted to save his job, he needed to prove it. Most believe he has.
However, the one person who matters in this equation is Poles. According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, there are still notable signs from Halas Hall that nothing has changed regarding Fields' status. They are still evaluating, and the current feeling is they may still move on.
In discussions about what the Bears will do with Eberflus, one of the pushbacks to retaining him is the idea that if the Bears draft a quarterback in the first round — and I wouldn’t discount that possibility — are they creating a situation where the coach is under pressure to succeed with a rookie quarterback?...
...There’s an alternative here, though, and it’s that the current power structure — chairman George McCaskey, President/CEO Kevin Warren and maybe most importantly GM Ryan Poles — are more comfortable enough with Eberflus at this point that the coach won’t enter 2024 on a win-now mandate whether the Bears are rolling with Fields or a rookie quarterback...
...All I am saying is that inside Halas Hall, the perspective might not be that Eberflus is under pressure next season — no matter which quarterback the team has...
...There’s also the question of what direction Eberflus would want to go on offense whether the team is keeping quarterback Justin Fields, which seems unlikely to me, or looking to replace him with a first-round draft pick.
This leads one to believe that Poles reached his conclusion long ago.
When that was remains a mystery. However, Biggs seems rather confident the team is still looking toward the draft for a new direction at quarterback. That means what Fields has done in recent weeks isn't helping his case to stay in Chicago. Instead, it is bolstering his trade value for when the Bears deal him at some point in the spring.
Justin Fields still has one card left to play.
A better way to put it is a dragon to slay. Fields has never beaten the Green Bay Packers in his NFL career. He's fallen in every single matchup since he was drafted in 2021. That reality is probably a sticking point for the organization. They know this team can't win a Super Bowl until they finally overcome the team that has owned them for the better part of 30 years. He will have another opportunity on Sunday at Lambeau Field with high stakes. Green Bay needs a win to make the playoffs. They have no fear of the Bears. Everybody knows this.
If Justin Fields wants to change the narrative, he has to go into that building and tear their hearts out. Will it happen? That seems unlikely. Green Bay always seems to know how to gameplan against him. They force him into mistakes and take advantage of his bad tendency to hold the ball. Beating up on teams with bad quarterbacks or defenses is something Fields has learned to do. Green Bay is well-coached with a young QB who is playing well.
Poles may want to see if Fields can answer the bell against a team that knows how to win. Otherwise, what Biggs says may prove true.
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