Matt Eberflus Explains Why Bears Chose To Bet On Justin Fields
The Chicago Bears faced a tough decision. They had the #1 pick in the draft. It was a golden opportunity for them to pivot at quarterback if they felt it was necessary. Such things have happened before. Arizona moved away from Josh Rosen after one season to take Kyler Murray #1 overall. Many former NFL executives and coaches felt GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus should consider moving away from Justin Fields. Their reasoning was his lack of development as a passer in 2022. While he did show some improvement, he still exhibited the same problems that dogged him as a rookie.
In the end, the Bears chose to trade the #1 pick to Carolina, picking up three extra draft picks and star wide receiver D.J. Moore. It was a loud and clear indication this team was fully behind its young quarterback. They already surrounded him with more weapons. Now their focus is shifting to his protection. Nate Davis arrived via free agency to bolster their guard position. Right tackle and center could be around the corner. Eberflus explained to Judy Battista of NFL Network why the team elected to stick with Fields.
“I was with him the whole year,” Eberflus said. “I was in all the quarterback meetings. And I really spent the first year building that relationship with him as a head coach and quarterback. He just showed me grit and, toughness, work ethic, his teammates love him. All the things that come with that position, he exuded those traits for sure.”
Matt Eberflus knows Fields embodies the H.I.T.S principle.
Don’t forget that is the philosophy the head coach lives by. People may think it’s stupid, but Eberflus has found most of his career success by sticking to it. He wants hustle, intensity, turnover-mindedness, and smarts. Few worked harder and played harder than Fields on Sundays. He kept his interceptions down despite constantly being under pressure, and he demonstrated a sharp intelligence on how to direct the offense and lead his teammates. If the quarterback embraces H.I.T.S, then everybody else will too.
The truth is the Bears weren’t in a good position to make a change at quarterback. Yes, there is a risk one of the top guys in this draft ends up being great. However, they would be walking into a less-than-stellar offensive situation. Their odds of success would be difficult. Fields has already demonstrated an ability to elevate people around him. It will be the second year in Luke Getsy’s offense. He has more weapons around him and should get better protection. Matt Eberflus believes it’s worth the risk.
Nobody should judge him for that decision.