The Justin Fields Hot Takes Just Went Nuclear

The whispers have already begun. Some Chicago Bears fans have already started asking the question. Should the team consider pivoting from Justin Fields and taking one of the top two QBs in the 2023 draft? As always, people become prisoners of the moment. Fields struggled in Detroit, going 7-of-21 with a touchdown and interception. Some of it was his own struggles, but once again, the majority was piss poor protection and wide receivers that couldn't get open or catch the ball. Combine that with Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud balling 24 hours earlier, and these takes would inevitably show up.

It is frustrating because those people have ignored everything Fields has done this season. He did his job despite a rookie coaching staff and a depleted roster. He showed improvement.

• 2,242 yards passing
• 1,143 yards rushing
• 25 touchdowns
• 12 turnovers

Sure, the passing game hasn't been pretty, but that's not his fault. The offensive line has allowed 55 sacks on Fields this season, including seven on Sunday against Detroit. The receiving corps has 18 dropped passes at least, despite getting the fewest number of pass targets in the league. Despite all of that, Fields still has a passer rating above 88. To say nothing of his record-setting pace as a runner.

It's unfortunate how so many Bears fans have reached this point despite undeniable evidence this quarterback is a playmaker, unlike anything the franchise has had in decades. Yet they're ready to pull the plug because he struggled in a meaningless game against a superior opponent on the road. That makes perfect sense.

Justin Fields needs help, not replacing.

Think about this. If the Bears did replace Fields with Young or Stroud, how does that improve their situation? Both young, inexperienced quarterbacks would be stepping into the same bad situation. Limited receiving options. Bad protection. Chicago will have wasted another 1st round pick on a quarterback rather than use it to improve the rest of the roster. No help for a defensive line with less than 10 sacks total this season. No help for an offensive line in danger of allowing the most sacks in a single season in franchise history. Just throw another quarterback at the problem. He'll fix it.

Nothing about that makes sense. Poles has to be smart about this. The Bears have a young quarterback with elite talent. He's progressing as a passer. The next step is putting pieces around him that aren't backups masquerading as starters. They're one game away from the 2nd overall pick. They'll have eight picks total and over $100 million in salary cap space. Barring a complete bungling by Poles, this roster should be significantly better by next September. Justin Fields will also enter the second year in this offense. That should help his development further.

Abandoning the project right when it's starting to show results would be the height of folly by the Bears.