It might seem early to be ramping up the pressure on quarterback Justin Fields to prove he belongs in the Bears’ future plans, but that type of thinking is outdated.
The old framework of a quarterback needing at least three seasons to develop doesn’t apply anymore, and stars like Justin Herbert, Dak Prescott and Russell Wilson shredded defenses as rookies.
In Fields’ case, the expectations on his timeline have also been accelerated by the change in administration at Halas Hall. General manager Ryan Poles wasn’t the one who traded up to take him No. 11 overall last year, but he is the one who will pay for it if he gives Fields too much time.
Fields must be good on his own regardless of the circumstances, but it’s a lot easier if he has help.
There have been 11 quarterbacks who got votes for Offensive Player of the Year over the last seven seasons, and a study of their careers showed that all of them were clear-cut stars by the end of their third season as the starter.
All 11 were paired with a defense that was top-10 in takeaways during their breakthrough season. Six had top-10 scoring defenses.
Five benefitted from playing in an offense that was top-10 in yards per carry, by the way.
It makes a big difference to have an overwhelming defense and a burly ground game. Some guys had both. Will Fields have either?
On the incredibly long list of problems that surrounded him as a rookie sits the fact that the Bears were 26th in the NFL in turnovers forced. They gave up the 11th-most points. Those weren’t the Monsters of the Midway.
And neither is the current defense, going by names alone. The Bears have two starters who were excellent last season: defensive end Robert Quinn and cornerback Jaylon Johnson.
They have a recognizable name in safety Eddie Jackson and high-potential rookies in cornerback Kyler Gordon and safety Jaquan Brisker, but none of them are certainties.
If you’re wondering how linebacker Roquan Smith’s absence could impact Fields, this is it.
But the Bears hired coach Matt Eberflus in part because he’s a defensive guru. Over his four years running the Colts’ defense, they were second only to the Patriots in takeaways and 10th in fewest points and yards allowed.
He should have the expertise to make this defense viable. If he doesn’t, it’ll put substantial stress on Fields.
Teams that don’t get takeaways are usually playing from behind, so they have to throw. And everyone knows they’re going to throw.
Teams that don’t have a reliably effective running game have no choice but to throw. And everyone knows they’re going to throw.
It takes a ton of guesswork out of the equation for opposing defenses and makes an already difficult task for the quarterback that much harder. The Bears trailed going into the fourth quarter in six of Fields’ 10 starts last season.
There were games in which he rose above the deficit, like when he completed 7 of 12 passes for 120 yards and a touchdown against the Steelers to give the Bears a late lead before their defense collapsed again. There were also nightmarish fourth quarters against the Browns (1 for 8, 10 yards) and Packers (8 for 13, 69 yards, interception).
That’ll happen for rookies. It’s a massive jump to the NFL, even from a big program like Ohio State, and Fields had countless sandbags tied to him thanks to Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy.
But most of those explanations won’t apply this season. While it helps to have a great defense and running game, Fields will still have to prove himself even if he doesn’t have those assets. That’s what the best quarterbacks do.
