Preseason Opener Exposes One Big Chicago Bears Concern

The Chicago Bears had few things to gripe about following their victory in the first preseason game over the Tennessee Titans. Their defense collected nine sacks and four turnovers. Justin Fields went 3-of-3 for 129 yards and two touchdowns, aided by explosive yards-after-the-catch plays. The offensive line held up well despite concerns about their pass protection. Yes, there were problems with ball security. Velus Jones and Tyler Scott both had fumbles. Pre-snap penalties occurred too often. Still, it was a mostly positive afternoon.

Only one person probably isn't feeling that way right now. When the Bears signed P.J. Walker in free agency, their thinking was logical. The backup quarterback brought some starting experience with him from Carolina. More importantly, he had the physical skill set to run the offense like Justin Fields. That meant they wouldn't have to change the scheme much were Fields to get hurt. While a logical approach, the results thus far can't be called encouraging. Walker has not only suffered from inconsistency in practice but also carried over to the game on Saturday.

He finished 4-of-8 for 19 yards and an ugly interception.

The Chicago Bears have to consider alternatives.

Walker signed a two-year deal worth $4 million this off-season. Half of that was fully guaranteed. If the Bears cut him, they'd only receive $150,000 in cap space. Not that they need it. The point is Walker didn't look up to the task of at least being efficient as a backup. Several of his passes were off-target. His 5'11 size also didn't help, as one of them was deflected at the line of scrimmage. Nobody debates the resiliency of this young man. To go from undrafted to the XFL and then finding his way back to the NFL is a tremendous story.

However, the Chicago Bears have to be honest with themselves. Is this guy trustworthy in the event Fields misses time with injury? His track record isn't great. He has more than twice as many interceptions (11) as touchdowns (5), with a 5-10 win-loss mark. Nathan Peterman isn't any better. Maybe the Bears can give undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent a closer look. Outside of that, it might be wise for GM Ryan Poles to monitor the quarterback market in the coming weeks. Given Fields' track record of health, there will come a time when the backup sees action. Walker isn't the one you probably want to fill the void.