The Chicago Bears fell to the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft at the last minute. The Houston Texans had the pick for the majority of the season until a Week 18 win at Indianapolis. Meanwhile, the Bears lost their last 10 games to steal the pick in the final week. As a result, there has been plenty of speculation about the Bears’ pick, and even more about quarterback Justin Fields.
During the end-of-season press conference, general manager Ryan Poles talked about the prospect of them taking a quarterback.
Ryan Poles was asked if Justin Fields is his guy.
Poles said: “We’re going to evaluate the draft class.”pic.twitter.com/Zh5bQjBTch
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 10, 2023
“We’re going to do the same as we’ve always done,” Poles said on Tuesday. “We’re going to evaluate the draft class. I would say this, I would have to be absolutely blown away to make that type of decision.”
Poles then talked about his current young quarterback in Fields.
“He’s shown the ability to be a playmaker, be impactful. He can change games quickly. Does he have room to grow? He does. He has to get better as a passer and I’m excited to see him take those steps as we move forward.”
Fields just completed his sophomore season in Chicago after being selected 11th overall in 2021. In 15 starts, he threw for 2,242 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions on a 60.4% completion percentage. His passer rating rose from 73.2 in his rookie season to 85.2. And his QBR went from 26.4, the worst in the league last year, to 53.9. Fields also added 1,143 yards and seven scores on the ground.
A Very Big Offseason in Chicago
The Chicago Bears will enter a crucial offseason this March. In addition to the first pick, they will have over $100 million in cap space, the most in the league. And they have multiple holes to fill on the roster, as they had the worst passing attack, 31st rushing defense, and allowed the fourth most sacks in the NFL. Fields himself was sacked 55 times, tied with Russell Wilson for the most in football.
There have been questions about what the Bears may do with their pick. Some have speculated that they will trade back with a quarterback-needy team, such as Indianapolis. Some have considered the Bears using the pick on a defensive player, such as Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr. And then there is the wild world of them trading Fields and taking a younger quarterback, such as Alabama’s Bryce Young. While Justin Fields appears to be in Ryan Poles’ good graces, the NFL landscape can get wild, for better or worse.
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