The Bears Let Slip Clear Evidence Justin Fields Is Staying

Ryan Poles has maintained the same stance from the moment the off-season began. Right now, the plan is for Justin Fields to be the starting quarterback for the Chicago Bears in 2023. That said, he will maintain his responsibility to evaluate and interview every quarterback in this draft class. He must ensure he isn't passing on a potential Hall of Famer. It would be beyond negligent not to do the extra work on the most critical position in the sport. This is why some insiders remain convinced the Bears will end up trading Fields.

There is no harm in Poles letting that narrative cook in the coming weeks. The less other teams know about his true intentions, the better his leverage will be with the #1 overall pick. That said, the GM may have tipped his hand during his meeting with the media before the scouting combine. He spoke with Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times on various topics. One that came up was the idea of keeping Fields in the loop on various roster moves, specifically the NFL draft. Last year Poles sat down with the quarterback and watched film with him on several prospects the Bears liked. Then Fields wrote a list of ones he liked too. Poles kept that list in mind during the draft.

It appears he plans to do the same thing again this year.

“I feel like we’ve done a good job always communicating with him and letting him know — because I knew the noise was going to spike through this process with everything going on,” Poles told the Sun-Times on Tuesday, the first day of the NFL Scouting Combine. “We’ll always be in contact and talk through -everything.”

Even this year?

“Oh,” he said, “I’ll do it every year with him.”

Poles would not clue in Justin Fields if he were planning a change.

It makes no sense. Why give a quarterback updates on the draft process if you plan to move on from him? This is a strong indication the Bears will keep him as the starter. It makes sense. The young QB took steps forward in his development last season. He became an elite running threat and improved his passing efficiency. There is still lots of work to do, but it was more than enough to justify more time. Another year in the same offense with better players around him could unlock more of his vast potential.

Trade down from #1, stockpile picks, and build up the rest of the roster. If Justin Fields doesn't make more progress in 2023, the Bears can re-evaluate their quarterback situation going into 2024. By then, the roster should be in a far better place to receive a change. Poles is taking the correct route. Yes, there is a possibility one of the top QBs in this draft ends up being great. Then again, the same can be said for Fields. The safer option is staying the course with him, betting on his still significant upside.