Just how well can Justin Fields lead the Bears offense in his third season as a pro, and his second season with offensive coordinator Luke Getsy? That’s the question on everyone’s mind since the Bears have given Fields a better opportunity to succeed this year, with the additions of DJ Moore, Darnell Wright and Nate Davis. And that’s the question Robert Mays and Nate Tice tried to answer on the latest episode of the “Athletic Football Show” podcast.
On the show, Tice and Mays ranked the best QB situations for the 16 NFC teams over the next three years. In other words, which teams are set up best to succeed at QB from now through the 2025 season. As it turned out, Tice and Mays were split on their Bears’ outlook with Fields.
Let’s start with Tice, who looks at the Bears with rosier lenses. He had their QB outlook ranked sixth in the conference and first in the NFC North. Tice put a lot of stock in Fields’ development as a rusher and a playmaker, with the caveat that Fields still needs to show he can take a step as a passer.
“People gotta realize how s— that situation was around him,” Tice said on the show. “I think Luke Getsy knows what he is and is going to be able to get the most out of him. I think the situation has improved.”
Tice made it clear he’s optimistic about Fields and believes “he’s going to take a leap forward” in 2023. Even if Fields does not pan out in the way the Bears expect, Tice is still high on the team’s outlook given how Poles has the organization situated for the near future.
“This is the reason why I have them ranked that high: they have a pretty good off ramp if it doesn’t work out. They have those first-rounders. They have the cap space. If Fields sucks this year, they may have a top-10 pick and another because of the Panthers’ first-round selection with a rookie quarterback. That could be ammo to maybe move up and get into that range if you want one of the top guys. That’s why I have the Bears situation and Justin Fields up here so high.”
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Mays didn’t buy what Tice was selling though.
“That’s insane,” Mays rebuffed. “That’s way too high. That’s way too high.”
Mays had the Bears ranked 10th in the NFC and third in the division behind the Lions and Vikings.
“There are too many things that are uncertain for me for them to be that high,” Mays said. “We don’t know what he’s going to be. I’m tepidly optimistic. I think they have done a very good job of presenting him and providing him with enough stuff to take that step. We’ll see what happens, but we don’t know. We don’t know if he’s going to be able to, and I think that he’s still got a long way to go as a passer, and operating in that way for me to feel comfortable enough to put him that high on the list.”
Mays also rejected the idea that the Bears can simply use their draft capital to pursue Caleb Williams or Drake Maye in the 2024 NFL draft if Fields falls flat this year.
“There’s a chance the Cardinals have the first pick, the Bucs have the second pick and both of those teams just say, ‘We’re taking the quarterbacks.’ Or the Raiders have the second pick, whatever. Two teams that need quarterbacks are picking that high and the Bears are sitting there like, ‘Oh man, we’d love to trade up and get one, but we just can’t do it.’ So I think there’s enough uncertainty that they’re a bit lower for me.”
The Bears believed in Fields enough to stick with him in 2023, instead of drafting Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud. They’ve given him the tools to succeed with an improved offensive line and better pass catchers. Now we just have to wait to see if it comes together, or not.