Everybody remembers how divided the fanbase was. The Chicago Bears held the #1 pick again. It was believed they would take a quarterback. However, several people thought it was a bad idea. Justin Fields won seven games in 2023. The team seemed to respond to his leadership well. Better to trade the pick again for an enormous haul and build the roster around him. GM Ryan Poles never really took that option seriously. He had his eyes set on USC phenom Caleb Williams. Fields was eventually traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Fast forward a year and things have changed. Williams is showing rapid signs of growth under new head coach Ben Johnson. Meanwhile, Fields has quickly discovered the Shakespearean tragedy of being a quarterback for the New York Jets. His rock bottom arrived on Sunday. Not only did the Jets lose 37-22, but Fields played poorly against the NFL's worst defense. Ironically, it's the same unit run by his former head coach, Matt Eberflus. Don't be fooled by the decent stats.
Most of them came in the 4th quarter when New York trailed 30-6. Fields was ineffective all day against the same defense Williams torched for four touchdowns two weeks ago.
Letting Justin Fields go was difficult. It was also correct.
The Bears had already seen what can happen when you cling to a quarterback for too long despite mounting evidence that he wasn't good enough. It happened with Mitch Trubisky in 2020. Instead of going for options like Jordan Love or Jalen Hurts that year, they stuck it out with him one more season. That is how they ended up with Justin Fields the next year. It could've happened again in 2024 had the Bears chosen to bypass Williams for one more year with Fields. Poles had no intention of passing on that opportunity. He'd seen two years of Fields. That was enough.
Time will tell whether Williams morphs into one of the best quarterbacks in football. One thing is clear. He is an upgrade over Fields. He's a better passer, protects the ball more effectively, and performs significantly better in crunch time. Imagine where this team would be now had they waited even one more year.
