One of the biggest questions this offseason centers around what the Chicago Bears will do with quarterback Justin Fields?
The Bears hold the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, and many assume they will select USC quarterback Caleb Williams at No. 1 overall. The Bears had the No. 1 pick in 2023, too, and traded it to the Panthers for a haul, which is why they hold the pick again this year.
Chicago believed in Fields last offseason and wanted to see him take another step in 2023, so it chose to surround him with more talent.
How did Fields respond? Well, that depends on who you ask. Most would agree that Fields hasn’t done enough to persuade the Bears to give him a lucrative extension. So, with a talent like Williams available with the No. 1 pick, wouldn’t it make sense to reset the rookie clock under center with a phenomenal talent available?
The Bears hired a new offensive coordinator this week. Shane Waldron comes to Chicago from Seattle, where he worked with Geno Smith and did excellent work. Does that signal the Bears will trade Fields and draft Williams?
Not necessarily. On Saturday, the Bears’ official Twitter account appeared to show some support for Fields by tweeting a highlight package.
JF1️⃣ pic.twitter.com/YQ38nsQKcr
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) January 27, 2024
What does this mean? Well, absolutely nothing. The Cardinals once did something similar with Josh Rosen and chose Kyler Murray at No. 1 overall a few months later.
Remember, the social media team isn’t GM Ryan Poles or coach Matt Eberflus. Poles likely didn’t tell those who run the Twitter account to post highlights of Fields.
How does this concern Washington? Well, if the No. 1 pick was available, would the Commanders consider moving up one spot to draft Williams — a Washington, D.C. native?
One would think the Bears would make a move with Fields before the new league year opens in March. There will be teams interested in Fields, especially those that aren’t in the position to land one of the draft’s top three passers: Williams, Jayden Daniels (LSU) and Drake Maye (North Carolina).
This offseason could be wild, with a lot of the intrigue centered on the Bears.
