Sounds Like Yet Another Team Regrets Passing On Justin Fields

A lot of people watched Monday Night Football this past week. Everybody saw Justin Fields deliver a dynamite second half in Pittsburgh, torching the Steelers defense for 228 yards passing and a go-ahead touchdown in the 4th quarter. He made a flurry of NFL-caliber throws, a number of them under duress. It was the first true indication that the kid is figuring it out. He's learning to match his talent with his eyes. The game is slowing down and defenses are having a harder time stopping him. Bears fans were ecstatic coming out of that game even though it was a defeat. For the first time they felt optimistic about the future. Fields has the look of a genuine franchise QB. At the same time though, there were a number of people around the league who probably started sweating as that game went on. People running the teams that decided to pass on Fields in the NFL draft back in April.

The most obvious one at the moment is the Carolina Panthers.

They elected to trade a 2nd round pick to the New York Jets for Sam Darnold, hoping their more proven offensive system would help the former #3 pick get his career on track. Now Darnold is injured and has thrown more interceptions (11) than touchdowns (7). This has forced them to bring back Cam Newton, so recently kicked to the curb by them last year. However, they might not be the only team having regrets. According to insider Mike Silver, the San Francisco 49ers are dealing with a crisis of their own regarding #3 overall pick Trey Lance. Remember that team traded three 1st round picks to make the jump to that spot. So they absolutely needed to make sure they got the selection right. After extensive evaluations, it was determined the North Dakota State product was their guy. Months later? They might be having second thoughts.

A week into training camp, coaches believed Lance had grasped Shanahan’s intricate offense so quickly that they might be able to accelerate the plan and start him right away. Then he leveled off, lost confidence and clearly became a less appealing option than Garoppolo — who had his best training camp as a Niner, by far— though Shanahan and his assistants were excited about the prospect of using a “Trey Lance Package” to keep teams off balance.

The 49ers ignoring Justin Fields never made sense

From a purely athletic standpoint? He was a perfect fit for Kyle Shanahan's offense. Somebody who could run those bootleg play actions all day and had the arm to do what Jimmy Garoppolo can't. Strike deep down the field. Yet Fields wasn't even in their top two for that pick. It was between Lance and Alabama quarterback Mac Jones. It isn't clear what Shanahan didn't like about Fields, but Bears fans are certainly grateful. The New York Jets are another team that probably wishes they had a do-over. Their #2 overall pick Zach Wilson has struggled a lot this season and is now injured. In his absence, backup Mike White has played well enough for people to already talk about the possibility of just sticking with him. It's amazing to think that the Bears may have somehow been the team that landed Justin Fields how they did. With so many QB-needy teams opting for bigger risks.

This truly feels like the Twilight Zone.

Obviously, it is too early to declare Lance a lost cause. Young players tend to take time to adjust to the NFL. Especially one of his inexperience. There is a chance he'll come around by next year. Still, it doesn't sound like his team is overly encouraged by his stunted progress.