Seems Panthers Fans Already Regret Passing On Justin Fields

Justin Fields introduced himself to the national audience for the first time on Monday night in Pittsburgh. The rookie didn't disappoint. After a sluggish first half against a tough Steelers defense, he exploded for 228 yards passing and a clutch go-ahead touchdown in the second. The latter came with under two minutes to play. The throws he made during that sequence were some of the best the NFL has seen this season. It was the latest indication that the 11th overall pick is morphing into franchise quarterback material at a significant rate. This goes back to a question many have asked for the past several months. How in the world did the Bears manage to land Fields in the first place? Experts agreed that Trevor Lawrence and Fields were the #1 and #2 prospects in the country looking towards the 2021 draft. Then for some baffling reason, Fields' stock began to sag following the end of the 2020 college season.

Enough to where two quarterbacks jumped ahead of him.

Zach Wilson went #2 to the Jets and Trey Lance went #3 to San Francisco. Even so, there was confidence Fields would still go in the top 10. Especially with a number of QB-needy teams sitting between the 7th and 9th picks. Then craziness happened. The Detroit Lions chose left tackle Penei Sewell at #7. Carolina grabbed cornerback Jaycee Horn at #8 and the Denver Broncos opted for Patrick Surtain II at #9. When Philadelphia moved up to grab wide receiver DeVonta Smith at #10, the Bears had their opening. They made a deal with the Giants for the 11th overall pick and snagged their guy. While Chicago basks in the sudden surge of hope that they finally have a QB, other fanbases are already lamenting the decision to pass on him. None more so than the Panthers who elected to trade for Sam Darnold from the Jets this past offseason, believing they could turn him around. It didn't turn out well. In nine starts, he has just seven touchdowns and 11 interceptions and is now on the shelf with a fractured scapula.

Carolina will resort to riding it out with P.J. Walker as their starting quarterback. As the realization of this sets in, many have already begun to voice their frustration on not grabbing Fields when he literally fell into their laps seven months ago.

Justin Fields timeline mirrors Bears' greatest regret

It is eerie how the entire process played out. Back in 2017, the team had Patrick Mahomes sitting on the board when they traded up to #2 overall. Instead, they went with Mitch Trubisky. Mahomes fell to the 10th pick where the Kansas City Chiefs traded up to get him. He went on to win an MVP award and then a Super Bowl. Fans were left crestfallen that they'd yet again missed out on a franchise-changing QB. Then the football gods seemed to finally give them a break. Four years almost to the day of that fiasco, the Bears were on the opposite side of that scenario. They needed their guy to fall and that is exactly what Justin Fields did. Like Mahomes, teams got overly gunshy about his supposed deficiencies and didn't focus on his potential. They went with safer picks, enabling Chicago to right their previous wrong.

This has a chance to be a great redemption story.

It's hard to feel overly bad for Panthers fans. They enjoyed quality quarterback play for a long time. Bears fans have endured almost pure misery since the 1950s. They deserve to have a star at that position for once. Fields is already looking like a star. One must admit it's a bit satisfying watching other fanbases howl in agony over making the same mistake this team has in years past.