Let’s begin here: The Bears are a hot mess.
With that, the question must be asked: How much of the mess stems from them drafting the wrong quarterback in the first round in 2021?
And this: How much more time will they give Justin Fields, who owns a 5-22 win-loss record, has thrown 26 touchdown passes to 24 interceptions and has completed fewer than 60 percent of his passes?
It is, of course, unfair to pin all of the Bears’ problems on Fields, who was selected 11th overall in 2021, but the fact is, that through two games this season (both losses), Fields doesn’t appear to have gotten any better than he was last season.
There were offseason moves made to build the team around him, the most important of which was trading for receiver D.J. Moore. So far, that hasn’t helped. There were reports Fields’ decision-making had gotten sharper in training camp. That hasn’t been apparent yet.
The Bears lost 38-20 to the Packers and 27-17 to the Buccaneers so far, and Fields is 40-for-66 for 427 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions.
Pedestrian passing numbers, just as in his first two seasons.
The Bears’ plan (their hope) was for Fields’ passing ability to catch up with his running ability. He rushed for 1,143 yards and eight TDs last season, evidence of what a rare athlete he is. But that’s not sustainable for a quarterback who wants to remain healthy. And those impressive rushing numbers didn’t lead to success, considering the Bears finished 3-14 in 2022.
The Bears are in the midst of a franchise-worst 12-game losing streak since their most recent win, last Oct. 24 at New England. So the pressure is mounting.
Things got weird this week when Fields was asked by reporters why he has struggled and he said his playing has been “robotic’’ during games and he has been overthinking. Asked why, Fields opened a can of worms when he said, “You know, could be coaching, I think,’’ indicating he feels he’s better when he plays on instinct.
“That’s when I play my best, when I’m just out there playing free and being myself,’’ he said.
He later called reporters together in the Bears’ locker room to clarify his comments by saying, “I’m not blaming anything on the coaches.’’
Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy has tried to turn Fields into more of a pocket passer, and it hasn’t worked. Fields has just 62 rushing yards and one TD on 13 attempts through two games.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles on Thursday expressed his support for Fields.
“No one in our entire building, none of our coaches, see Justin as a finger-pointer at all,” Poles told reporters. “You have a guy who hasn’t had the cleanest start of his career. Everyone’s trying to figure out what’s going on. In my opinion, you got a young quarterback trying to figure it out.’’
How much more time will Fields get to do that?