Mike Tomczak. Jim Harbaugh. Peter Tom Willis. Will Furrer. Steve Walsh. Erik Kramer. Dave Krieg. Rick Mirer. Steve Stenstrom. Moses Moreno. Shane Matthews. Cade McNown. Jim Miller. Chris Chandler. Henry Burris. Kordell Stewart. Rex Grossman. Craig Krenzel. Chad Hutchinson. Jonathan Quinn. Kyle Orton. Brian Griese. Jay Cutler. Todd Collins. Caleb Hanie. Josh McCown. Jason Campbell. Jimmy Clausen. Matt Barkley. Brian Hoyer. Mitchell Trubisky. Mike Glennon. Chase Daniel. Nick Foles. Andy Dalton. Trevor Siemian. Nathan Peterman.
That is an incomplete list of 37 different names (!) who have started at least one game for the Chicago Bears since Jim McMahon — the only Bears signal-caller ever to win the Super Bowl — last took a snap for them. It is, on purpose, omitting one essential person. But after their egregious display of incompetence with his innate talents, it’s finally time to add him to the pile of forgettable Bears quarterback also-rans.
I’m talking, of course, about Justin Fields. The 24-year-old is living proof the Bears are fundamentally broken and might never find their long-awaited answer at quarterback. And after his introspective reflection following Chicago’s 41-10 humbling at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday — it’s abundantly clear that the Bears managed to break his heart.
When asked about the Bears losing by 31 today, Justin Fields pointed to what he's learned these last few weeks.
Fields: "I'm looking at it like the big picture, life in general to be honest with you. I think this past week has had me kind of look at it like what are the…
— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) September 25, 2023
To be clear, Fields was not a sure thing when the Bears drafted him out of Ohio State in 2021. No quarterback jumping to the next level is ever guaranteed success. But he was one of the most accurate passers in college football history. He was an electric talent showing out on a prominent stage on a weekly basis. He was an explosive player with a pedigree the Bears have seldom possessed in their 103 years of existence. The initial overarching sentiment after Fields traded in his scarlet and steel uniform for the Bears’ blue and orange was that Chicago couldn’t possibly ruin him, too. Even the Bears, they said, with their warts and all, could foster a healthy environment that would harness the strengths of a genuine franchise quarterback.
How utterly wrong we all were.
None of this is to absolve Fields of his poor performance. Through three games in the 2023 season, he arguably has been the NFL’s worst quarterback. He struggles to consistently pass for 200 yards a game, let alone reach the hallowed benchmark of 300 — an accomplishment his Ohio State successor, C.J. Stroud, achieved in just his second career game. Fields can’t see the field, can’t process his reads fast enough, does everything at a snail’s pace, and he holds onto the ball far too long (if he even pulls the trigger) to be a viable starting quarterback. His expected points added (EPA) per play has been negative since entering the league in 2021. Fields is basically Zach Wilson as an abysmal passer, except he can run like Michael Vick and Lamar Jackson.
JUSTIN FIELDS. INCREDIBLE RUN.
📺: #PHIvsCHI on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/mzMHAEtgdH pic.twitter.com/lNhAJ8eAWk— NFL (@NFL) December 18, 2022
But these are issues Fields already had at Ohio State. These were problems he had when the Bears drafted him. These are, quite frankly, common flaws of every young NFL quarterback. They are not groundbreaking, unprecedented, or new. Most importantly, they are correctable. The distinction between the Bears and other teams is that most of the latter group knows how to stay patient with its hopeful faces of the franchise and get them to eventually eliminate their bad habits. The Bears never have, so, of course, they couldn’t do it with Fields. Of course Fields is essentially the same exact passer he was as a rookie. Of course Fields’ horrific passing foundation metastasized and wound up somehow exacerbating his yips as a thrower in Year 3.
This is simply what the Bears do. I guess we shouldn’t be surprised.
It’s still only September, but the script for this Bears movie has already been written. They are 0-3 and do nothing well. Dear reader, they are home underdogs to a Broncos team that just surrendered 70 points. The only thing that would turn their season around on a dime is MVP-caliber play week in and week out from Fields. We have enough of a sample size to understand that is very likely not going to happen now (or ever).
So, the conversation will soon shift to the Bears’ draft plans. Barring a stupor of random, unexpected competence, they will finish with the NFL’s worst record for the second straight season. They will have the No. 1 overall pick again and the opportunity to draft Fields’ successor in one of the best quarterback drafts on paper in years. Right now, the head of the class is USC’s Caleb Williams, a purportedly “generational” talent under center to many. But don’t discount North Carolina’s Drake Maye, who professional scouts believe resembles an ideal game-changing quarterback archetype. Both will probably be the first and second picks in some order in April.
As such, one of these two young men could be the Bears’ 39th blindly-thrown dart at quarterback in over three decades. One of them could be The Answer to finally shift the fortunes of the league’s worst marquee team and transform it into a perennial Super Bowl contender. Heaven only knows that Bears fans deserve that kind of wonderful reward after their extended torment.
All of that sentiment is well and good, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. Not until it actually happens. Not by a long shot.
If the Bears could fail someone like Justin Fields, they could indeed fail anyone. The NFL’s charter franchise couldn’t successfully change a light bulb, much less develop the most challenging position in professional team sports. Who’s to say it won’t be more of the same with Williams, Maye, or someone else?
I’ll see you here again in 2027 when we’re adding a 40th name to the Bears’ embarrassing laundry list of quarterback failures.
