The Chicago Bears hold the first overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft and that puts them in somewhat of a precarious position. They have a chance to land a top quarterback prospect but that would mean pulling the plug on 2021 first-round pick Justin Fields after just three seasons.
Is that a route Bears general manager Ryan Poles wants to take? It is one he should take?
Retired Bears legend, Brian Urlacher, recently chimed in on that very topic and attempted to answer those question. His take was blunt.
“I don’t envy their position. They have to make a tough decision with Justin, who could be the guy and may not be the guy,” Urlacher told The 33rd Team. “Last year they had the number one pick and they passed up on C.J. Stroud, they could have had him last year. It’s tough to be in that position.
“I think at this point, if people are still asking if Justin Fields is the guy, then he’s probably not the guy. Three years in, if they’re still saying ‘hey is he going to be our guy’ and they’re sitting there with the number one pick with a pretty good player sitting there, I think they probably have to draft a kid.”
The risk the Bears — and all NFL teams looking for a new quarterback — run is whiffing on their pick. More first round quarterbacks fail than succeed, and that can set a franchise back nearly a decade.
Fields certainly hasn’t lived up to his first round billing at this point in his career, but he’s played for some bad teams and been surrounded by lackluster talent. In three seasons, he’s also had two general managers, two head coaches and two offensive coordinators. That’s not exactly a recipe for success and would be difficult waters to wade for a veteran quarterback, let alone a 24-year-old.
But if Poles shares the same view as Urlacher and doesn’t believe Fields is the guy, they have to pull the trigger on whoever they believe can be. Having the first overall selection provides them the opportunity to handpick their potential franchise quarterback and that doesn’t come around all that often.
