The Chicago Bears are gearing up for the 2023 NFL season, which features plenty of new and returning faces within the organization. There are a number of players, coaches and front office members that are crucial to the team’s success this season.
Every day from now until the start of training camp, we’re counting down our 30 Most Important Bears for the 2023 season. We’ll recap their 2022 season, look ahead to 2023 and tackle the biggest question facing them this year.
We’ve reached the end of our list and it should come as no surprise to see Justin Fields is the most important Bear of 2023.
Background
Position: Quarterback
Age: 24
Experience: 3rd season
2023 cap hit: $5.146 million
2022 recap
Fields entered the 2022 season with big expectations despite having to learn a new system surrounded by a subpar supporting cast. What transpired was one of the best seasons in league history for a running quarterback that coincided with an uneven passing attack. After a slow start to the season, Fields and the offense found a spark that resulted in explosive plays and high-scoring affairs. The catalyst to that production was Fields’ mobility. The Bears quarterback repeatedly took off from the pocket and gained chunk yardage at will, averaging 7.1 yards per carry and rushing for 1,143 yards with eight touchdowns. Fields broke multiple records along the way, most notably passing Michael Vick for the most rushing yards in a single game by a quarterback (178 yards in Week 9 against the Miami Dolphins).
His passing numbers weren’t quite as gaudy to say the least, but he showed improvement from his rookie year despite having a lesser group of receivers. Fields threw for 2,242 yards and 17 touchdowns with 11 interceptions for a quarterback rating of 85.2 in 15 games. He was also sacked 55 times behind a shoddy offensive line.
2023 outlook
Nobody on the Bears is poised to take a bigger step from 2022 to 2023 than Fields. General manager Ryan Poles saw what his young quarterback could do last year as a runner and decided to give him reinforcements at every position to improve as a passer. The Bears traded for a legitimate WR1 in D.J. Moore as part of the deal involving the No. 1 overall pick. They signed tight end Robert Tonyan in free agency to compliment Cole Kmet. And they fortified the offensive line by signing guard Nate Davis and drafting tackle Darnell Wright with their first pick.
All of those moves should benefit Fields, who also remains in the same offensive system for two years in a row, the first time that’s happened for him since college. It’s going to be a pivotal year for Fields but he finally has pieces in place that gives him the opportunity to take a major leap.
Big question: Can Fields become the Bears' franchise quarterback?
Can Fields become the Bears franchise quarterback? It’s a question that’s been asked the moment he was drafted over two years ago and it remains one today. It’s been difficult to evaluate Fields during that time, though. His rookie year, former head coach Matt Nagy tried to fit a round object into a square peg and he never got off the ground. Last year, he had questionable protection while throwing to backup receivers, all while trying to grasp offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s new system.
But now the stage is set to truly evaluate who Fields can be as a quarterback. He has superstar qualities as a runner but that won’t be enough if his passing doesn’t improve. Fortunately, we should have the answer when the season concludes. And for better or for worse, it will indicate which direction the franchise will head moving forward.
30 Most Important Bears of 2023
We counted down our 30 Most Important Bears of 2023. Check out the complete list as the Bears begin training camp.
