Report: Chicago Bears Star Makes Controversial Statement About Justin Fields Prior To Green Bay Packers Matchup

The Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears will face off in Week 18 in a “win and in” scenario for the Packers.  Coming off their dominant 33-10 win over the Minnesota Vikings, the Packers control their own destiny to the post-season.

The only thing standing in their way?  Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears.  Today, one of the Bears star players made a pretty shocking statement about Fields.

Chicago Bears Wide Receiver D.J. Moore Makes Emphatic Statement About Justin Fields Prior To Green Bay Packers Matchup

 

According to Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team:

Bears WR DJ Moore on Justin Fields and his future:

“He’s ‘Him.’ I want him to be the quarterback. I said what I said; now it’s on the higher-ups. It’s up to them.”

The progress Fields has made so far has not been impressive. During his 12 starts, he threw for 2,414 yards, 16 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. His completion percentage (60.4 percent) is roughly comparable to his performance in 2022 (60.4 percent), and his QBR has fallen from 56.3 percent to 46.3 percent.

You get sold on him again after a performance like Week 17 when he defeated the Atlanta Falcons 37-17. He completed 20-of-32 passing attempts for 268 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 45 yards and one score on 11 carries.  Fans will get enthralled by his highlight runs or above average performance here and there but will forget he is 10-27 as a starter in this league.  That includes an 0-5 record against Green Bay.

Chicago will have the number one overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft (via the Carolina Panthers) as well as another mid-round pick due to their 7-9 record (currently).  If the Bears decide to trade down and acquire more assets for Justin Fields and this offense instead of investing in a new franchise quarterback, it could set their team back another 4-5 years.

3 reasons why Chicago Bears should move on from Justin Fields in 2024

The Chicago Bears cannot keep Justin Fields beyond this year.

The Chicago Bears should move on from Justin Fields at the end of the 2023 NFL Season and reset their QB situation with a better passer. Honestly, I do not see an argument for keeping Justin Fields besides the fanbase seeming to want it. Yes, the Bears have turned their season around, but the verdict on Justin Fields has not changed.

He’s in his third year in the NFL and there is still no indication that he is a franchise QB. How many other QBs in the history of the NFL have gotten this long to prove that they are a franchise passer? And there are people calling for the Bears to bring him back in 2024, which is just mind-boggling.

I would understand that if Chicago did not have the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but they do, and they need to use it on a QB.

3 reasons why Chicago Bears should move on from Justin Fields in 2024
1. The Bears can reset with a rookie QB contract

One of the biggest advantages in all of sports is having a good QB on a rookie contract, because that gives the team years of cap relief since they don’t usually feel the impact of a top QB contract until years into their career. Well, the Bears will have to make a decision on Justin Fields’ fifth-year option at the end of the season, which means their financial commitment to Fields will increase in the coming seasons.

The Bears will already have a ton of cap space in 2024, and they could earn a little bit more and reset their QB contract situation by trading Fields and starting fresh at the position. At this point, GM Ryan Poles has really built up a solid roster, and he could truly take advantage of that with a fresh QB contract situation to work with.

Just look at the model that the Houston Texans are following. They are going to be very, very good in 2024 and part of that is because they’ll have a metric-ton of cap space to finish out their roster since they will not have to pay CJ Stroud for years.

2. They can get a first or second-round pick by trading Fields

The Chicago Bears have clinched the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and their own first-round pick is the 10th overall selection. If they wanted to trade Justin Fields, their asking price could truly start with a first-round pick. If they got a first rounder for Fields, they’d likely get that pick in 2024, so they could have a whopping three first rounders in 2024.

Just imagine the kind of talent they could draft with three 1s. If they don’t get a first-round pick, they could easily net a second-rounder, which is still a valuable draft pick. There really is no losing situation here from trading Justin Fields. Some team will be desperate enough to give a first or second-round pick for him.

GM Ryan Poles should take advantage of Fields’ potential trade value and make the move. I don’t think he’s going to progress much more than his current state, and his current state is not good enough for the Chicago Bears to win a Super Bowl, which is what every teams wants to do.

3. Justin Fields simply is not good

I mean, what are we doing here gang? Justin Fields is not a good QB. He’s a high-end backup with spot-starter potential. He has not developed as a passer from year two to year three, and he’s been much less productive with his legs this year. He rushed for over 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns last year.

In 2023, he’s rushed for 630 yards and just four touchdowns. He’s also fumbled 10 times this year and 38 times over his career. Along with 38 fumbles, he’s thrown 30 interceptions. So, over the course of his career in total, he’s been responsible for 54 touchdowns, 30 interceptions, and 38 fumbles.

Guys, I get that Fields can be electric at times, but this is an unsustainable path for the Chicago Bears to keep going down. There is absolutely 0 argument for this team to keep Justin Fields beyond this year as their QB. He’s simply not good, but because he’s got electric potential, people gravitate toward him as a QB.