Ever since general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberlus began their tenure with the Bears, conversations surrounding quarterback Justin Fields have been top of mind. No matter the day, week, or month, questions about whether or not Fields remains in the long-term plans persist.
Even when the team makes a bold move such as trading out of the No. 1 overall pick with the Carolina Panthers to move down to No. 9, essentially taking them out of the running for the top quarterbacks of the 2023 draft class. Despite those conversations continuing to take place in the media, offensive coordinator Luke Getsy made a strong statement to one NFL analyst about his quarterback that should silence those talks.
ESPN NFL analyst Louis Riddick joined ESPN 1000’s Waddle & Silvy show on Friday to discuss the upcoming draft and what the Bears should do. After he sang the praises of Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright and discussed the risks when it comes to drafting Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter, he dropped a nugget about Fields after a conversation he had with Getsy.
“I talked to Luke Getsy down in Alabama for the Bryce Young pro day and I was like ‘hey, you down here looking at these quarterbacks?” Riddick said. “You trying to find one?’ And he was like ‘nope. We got our guy, we just need to help him out. Protect him and get him weapons. And we’re doing a pretty good job of it. We have a good start.’ I could not agree more so it’s not even a discussion in my book.”
Love this anecdote from @LRiddickESPN on @WaddleandSilvy about a recent conversation with Luke Getsy about Justin Fields.
"We got our guy. We just need to help him out. Protect him and get him weapons. And we're doing a pretty good job of it. We have a good start." pic.twitter.com/viCxjNG1Q7
— Brendan Sugrue (@BrendanSugrue) April 22, 2023
Throughout the entire offseason, the Bears brass has somewhat played coy when Fields has come up in conversations. Poles and Eberflus have praised him, but haven’t fully come out to say that he’s the guy going forward. If anything, their actions speak louder than words with the trade out of the top pick while also acquiring wide receiver D.J. Moore from the Panthers. They’re showing a commitment to Fields, even if they’re not literally saying it out loud.
The Bears didn’t need to come out and say Fields is the guy moving forward, but Getsy putting it in black and white was refreshing to hear. It’s also worth pointing out that he talks about how they have a “good start” when it comes to getting him help. This conversation took place a month ago and Getsy isn’t shy about saying they need to put more around Fields. Perhaps it’s an indicator of what the Bears will do early in the draft.
Fields showed special ability last year when he scored 25 total touchdowns (17 through the air and eight on the ground) despite having a leaky offensive line and a poor supporting cast of receivers. He threw for 2,242 yards and ran for 1,143 yards in 15 games. His passing does need to improve but with the addition of Moore, a healthy Darnell Mooney, a full season of Chase Claypool, and hopefully more line reinforcements in the draft, he should take another step in 2023.
Getsy sees the potential and his conversation with Riddick is yet another reminder of the Bears’ commitment to Fields. Maybe now national analysts will move off the topic of trading the quarterback, but don’t hold your breath.
