Another week, more confusion.
Despite the Bears' 27-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals this past weekend, questions still remain about quarterback Justin Fields. Does he have a long-term future with the Bears past this season?
It was the same old story for Fields this weekend. He performed mediocre through the air, throwing for 170 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He finished with a 65.4 QBR and 71.5 passer rating. However, he recorded nine rushes for 97 yards and another touchdown on the ground.
Should the Bears look for a new quarterback this offseason? One former Bears head coach is fond of Fields and added one caveat to the Bears' biggest offseason question.
"I like Justin Fields," Dave Wannstedt said on NBC 5. "I know everybody wants to see more. It really comes down to this, and I've been through this for 40 years. Everybody wants to replace everybody you got. My question is, who are you going to draft that you're positive is gonna be better than what you have?"
That would be, in theory, USC quarterback Caleb Williams or North Carolina's Drake Maye. There's also Washington's Michael Penix Jr., and even Oregon's Bo Nix. But Williams and Maye dominate the conversation of the most intriguing prospects out of college.
But are they better, or will they become better quarterbacks than Fields?
Chicago Bears
Therein lies the question. Fields has shown Bears fans what he can do over 36 starts. Overall, his athleticism, pocket awareness and playmaking abilities are evident. He possesses a strong arm, able to chuck the deep ball, even on the run.
But can he become a more efficient quarterback? This season, he owns the 22nd overall QBR and 23rd overall passer rating. The Bears want to see that escalate into above-average territory. But, at this point, he's been given three seasons to prove his improvement in that area. Does he deserve more time?
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The Bears will have to decide this offseason if they want to continue trying to develop Fields or move on from his services. Currently, the Bears have their hands on the No. 1 overall pick via the Carolina Panthers' league-worst record. They also have the No. 8 pick themselves.
Should they use that pick to bring in a new signal caller? Either way, Wannstedt is confident in Ryan Poles' abilities as the general manager.
"I think we just have to trust Ryan Poles right now," Wannstedt said. "He has done a very good job with these drafts. He has done a very good job, in my opinion, with the trades that he's brought in. So I think we gotta trust him to give it a little bit more time and let him dig into these young draft picks and see if they are better. And if they're better, then we need to make a change."
Remember, the Bears passed on the top quarterbacks of last year's draft for Fields. The jury is still out on all of them, Fields included. But C.J. Stroud appears to be a bona fide franchise cornerstone with the Texans. And the Bears passed on the opportunity to draft him.
Can they afford to pass on the draft's top prospects again to bank on Fields' development?
It'll be up to Poles and Kevin Warren to answer that question.
