Chicago Bears QB Justin Fields has been hailed as the savior of this franchise from the moment he’s drafted, as he marked the first marquee quarterback prospect this organization has drafted – at least in my lifetime.
While it wasn’t this General Manager/Head Coach regime that brought Justin Fields to Chicago, they were the ones entrusted with his development and ensuring that he reaches the ceiling we all believe he is more than capable of achieving.
However, since taking over, Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus have gone a different route than conventional wisdom would have suggested. Instead of investing heavy resources into Justin Fields’ supporting cast in terms of the offensive line and wide receiver, they’ve decided to press reset, clear up cap space for next year, and dedicate 2022 to installing a strong culture that promotes technically sound play and even stronger mental stamina.
While this offseason and the preseason were able to establish a lot of goodwill that Justin Fields is in good hands with this new regime, his play thus far this season has raised concerns that either he is being given an unfair hand or perhaps that he doesn’t have what it takes to succeed at the next level.
However, a response he gave in his most recent press conference lends credence to the former, suggesting that a stronger supporting cast could have paid dividends for his development this year.
If the Chicago Bears had invested in more high-profile weapons for Justin Fields, they could have exponentially progressed his development.
Take a look at Justin Fields’ response to a missed read on an early play in the Texans game, one in which he scrambled for 29 yards but missed two open receivers early in his progression despite looking to that side of the field.
“Yeah it was man coverage, I was looking for Moon [Mooney] on the deep corner – EQ came open late on the shorter corner, but you know my feet weren’t ready for that. I really just wanted Moon [Mooney], thought it was a good matchup, but the corner just ended up playing outside leverage so I ended up making something with my feet.”
– Justin Fields on his progressions on a 29 yard run in which he looked to miss multiple open receivers
Later, a question was asked about his and Darnell Mooney’s connection so far in the offense and if there’s any particular reason for their slow start. Fields said that there’s nothing really going on and that he’s trying not to force it, but admittedly is staring him down every now and then.
I believe this press conference is the latest example of how a stronger receiver room would have been of great utility for Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears this season. I think it’s becoming clear that right now Fields has more faith in certain players rather than the play-calls that get other guys open, leading to missed progressions and a longer time to throw.
By contrast, take a look at the Bengals. Joe Burrow has a plethora of weapons to throw to, and as a result, he doesn’t necessarily feel the pressure to force it to Jamarr if it’s not there. His confidence in his other pass catchers like Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd settles him enough to go through his reads and take what the defense is giving to him. Right now, it’s looking more and more plausible that Justin Fields doesn’t have that same confidence in his receivers outside Darnell Mooney.
Yet, who could blame him? Equanimeous St. Brown, while athletically gifted, isn’t exactly a bonafide WR2 or 3 in any good offense. Byron Pringle had flashes in Kansas City but was still their third/fourth WR at best. The only other player Fields may trust outside Mooney is Velus Jones Jr who he had a hand in scouting, but he’s currently battling back from an injury.
If the Chicago Bears could have surrounded Justin Fields with more receivers this past summer, even if it meant less cap space next year, I believe he wouldn’t feel the need or internal pressure to get his only playmaker on offense the ball. Simply because he would be responsible for making sure all his other playmakers get their fair share too thereby allowing him to settle in and not force anything akin to what Joe Burrow gets to do in Cincinnati.
The latest reports suggest that the Bears will be active in the trade market for another receiver so hopefully help is on the way for Justin, but if not this season, next spring will see many notable WRs looking for contract extensions either with their current team or a new one. Names like Chase Claypool, Tee Higgins, and Michael Pittman could be available should the Bears want to make a move that would drastically help Fields’ development.
