Top Insider Reports That Justin Fields Is Done In Chicago
Justin Fields has been a rollercoaster for most of his career with the Chicago Bears. His play of late seems to have steadied, though. While not exactly lighting up the stat sheets, he’s played more efficiently. The flash plays are still there and, along with an ascending defense, the Bears have won four of their last five games. A 37-17 trouncing of the Atlanta Falcons has many believing Fields has done enough to convince GM Ryan Poles and the team brass that he deserves another year under center.
Anybody who has followed the league for a long enough time has probably heard the name Benjamin Allbright. He’s an insider for KOA Colorado and has proven to have strong league connections for years. He didn’t dance around the subject when asked about the Fields situation.
Many people will scoff at this, believing there is no way it’s true, not after what Fields has done. That is until you remember the comments made by Poles himself prior to the Falcons game when asked about the QB situation. He sure made it sound like a good game against Atlanta won’t be enough to sway him in any decision. It must be about the big picture.
Justin Fields hasn’t improved enough where it matters.
Allbright alludes to it in his tweet. For all his incredible feats as a runner, Poles wanted to see Fields improve as a passer. Technically, he has, but not by any meaningful degree. His TD-INT ratio (16 to 9) is a minor improvement from the 17 to 11 from last season. His completion rate of 61.0% is higher than last year but still well below the league average. He will finish the third straight season failing to crack 3,000 yards passing. Last but not least, he once again has double-digit fumbles (10) in a season.
Nobody disputes his athleticism, work ethic, or leadership. The guy has all of that in spades. The problem is he doesn’t display the necessary efficiency as a passer to believe he can win this team a championship. Justin Fields has a 100+ passer rating in seven career games spanning 39 starts. Not all of that is his fault, but it offers a reminder that precision isn’t a big part of his game. That, more than anything, might be what convinces Poles to move on. Don’t forget this guy played with Matt Ryan and helped draft Patrick Mahomes. Neither of them experienced anything close to the problems Fields has.
If the Bears didn’t hold the #1 overall pick, this wouldn’t be a discussion. But they do. That is why it may no longer matter what Fields does.