The Chicago Bears made a bold move in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft, trading up to land Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields with the No. 11 overall pick.
Grabbing a passer of Fields’ caliber that late in the draft was a huge win for the Bears, especially considering their current quarterback situation, with veteran Andy Dalton currently penciled in as their Week 1 starter.
But to hear Bears head coach Matt Nagy tell it, it sure sounds like Fields could be in for plenty of clipboard duty and not much on-field action during his rookie season (via Pro Football Focus):
Could Justin Fields sit all of Year 1? 😳 pic.twitter.com/NnTPXlU4sc
— PFF College (@PFF_College) June 15, 2021
It’s understandable to plan for your veteran to be the starter while your rookie develops, and that approach obviously paid off for the Kansas City Chiefs with Alex Smith and Patrick Mahomes. But there are examples on the other side of the coin, as well (Russell Wilson and Matt Flynn for the Seattle Seahawks, perhaps), where the rookie is just that much better than the veteran, and deserves to be the starter.
Training camp could obviously make it clear which approach is better for the Bears this season, but it would be surprising if Dalton plays well enough to keep a young stud like Fields on the bench all year long.
