Once upon a time, Chicago Bears fans were desperately hoping to see their front office make a serious move for a quarterback.
During the 2021 NFL Draft, in which the Bears held pick no. 20, fans waited patiently to see if then-general manager Ryan Pace was going to move up and get this franchise the quarterback they had long waited for.
At the beginning of the draft, we essentially knew the first three picks — all quarterbacks. It would go Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson and then Trey Lance, just like that — one, two, three. And in the blink of an eye, three quarterbacks were gone.
But, in many Bears fans’ minds, the second-best quarterback prospect was still on the board. Then, at pick no. 11, the Bears made the move to go up and draft Justin Fields out of Ohio State. Finally, it appeared as though the Bears would have a legitimate franchise quarterback — and a dual-threat talent, as well.
There were some outlets, including our own NFL Spin Zone, that thought New York should have gone with Fields. But, because of their mistake drafting Wilson, the Bears and their fan base were left elated.
The New York Jets’ current quarterback situation with Zach Wilson and Mike White should make Chicago Bears fans even more thankful for Justin Fields.
This weekend, the Bears take on the Jets in what should have been a battle between 2021 draft picks, Fields and Wilson. However, due to Wilson’s extremely poor play this season and a mishandling of his teammates’ emotions last Sunday, the second-year quarterback has been benched.
Sure, it could be the best thing that ever happened to Wilson. But, during the “here and now,” it looks to be a mess. The Jets are winning, but they’ve been winning in spite of Wilson, and not because of him.
On the flip side, the Bears may be losing games, but their future feels so much brighter because of Fields. If it weren’t for Fields, the Bears would be borderline unwatchable.
The Fields breakout has been inspiring to watch. It’s been uplifting, even amidst a season full of losses so far.
As we all think about what we’re most thankful for in the year 2022, Bears fans can be especially thankful that the Jets decided to pass on maybe the best quarterback prospect of that 2021 class, allowing the Bears to make that move in going up and getting Fields.
