The Chicago Bears got a steal in landing quarterback Justin Fields with the 11th overall pick. Many had Fields pegged as the No. 2 prospect — some even the top prospect — in the NFL draft. So it was a surprise when Fields fell where he did, allowing GM Ryan Pace to trade up and get the Bears’ hopeful franchise quarterback.
It always felt like a long shot that the Bears would be in a position to trade up to get Fields. Too much had to happen. San Francisco had to choose another quarterback at No. 3. They did. Quarterback-needy teams like Carolina and Denver had to pass on him. They did. Heck, even the Eagles trading up with the Cowboys to land wide receiver DeVonta Smith, the Giants’ top choice at No. 11, was perfectly timed.
But it all happened, and the Bears are reaping the rewards with Fields, who has been impressive throughout training camp and in his preseason debut.
And according to Albert Breer, it sounds like some of the teams that passed on Fields might already be regretting it.
In the aftermath of the weekend, a lot of team people I spoke to were talking about how their rivals may regret having passed on Justin Fields in April. It’s early, of course, but what got a couple of scouts I touched base with was how comfortable Fields looked running Matt Nagy’s offense. And I don’t think that surprises the Bears guys, based on what they’ve seen to this point.
It’s a welcome relief for a franchise like the Bears, which made the mistake of passing on Patrick Mahomes back in 2017. Now, there are other teams that perhaps made a similar mistake.
And the Bears, well, it looks like they might’ve finally got their franchise quarterback.
