Have Bears made their decision on Justin Fields already?

Carmen Vitali

NFC North Reporter

Two teams entered 2023 with a particularly urgent need to evaluate their quarterbacks. They happen to play in the same division: the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers.

The Packers had Aaron Rodgers’ successor on the roster but with a reworked two-year deal, Green Bay needed to know if Jordan Love was the way forward by the end of 2023. Even with young receivers, even with what ended up being an unreliable backfield and offensive line, Love had a season to prove himself — and it looks like he’s going to do it.

Justin Fields was entering his third season back in September but it was his first time going into an offensive system he had operated the year before. There were reinforcements brought in to rid Fields of any excuses and make his evaluation as easy as possible for the front office. Nate Davis was signed during free agency while the team spent their first pick of the draft on offensive tackle Darnell Wright. Perhaps most importantly, Chicago brought in No. 1 wide receiver D.J. Moore via trade. 

The Bears need to make a decision this offseason on whether to pick up Fields’ fifth-year option and ultimately, sign him to a long-term deal. But going into Week 14, are the Bears realistically any closer to making that decision than they were in Week 1?

The way the discourse is going, it doesn’t appear to be the case. Fourteen weeks into the season and 23 games into his tenure under Eberflus, it’s still a conversation. In simple terms, that’s not great. Fields was asked this week about his future with Chicago. His answer didn’t sound like a player assured of his standing.

“Life isn’t fair so me, personally, I’m just focused on what I can control and the rest is in God’s hands,” he said. “If I’m here next year, if I’m not, football doesn’t define who I am as a person. My happiness will still be in the same place, still be in God. Football-wise, life stuff, I think my faith in God,…

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Publish date : 2023-12-08 14:44:06

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