Thank goodness for Justin Fields.
Otherwise, the Chicago Bears brass would’ve had an absurdly embarrassing preseason game against the Buffalo Bills. Don’t get me wrong. It was plenty embarrassing for Bears general manager Ryan Pace. He decided to sign quarterback Andy Dalton for $10 million in 2021, rather than retain Mitchell Trusbisky, who ultimately signed with the Bills for $2.5 million in 2021.
Trubisky dunked on the Bears during preseason Week 2. He finished 20 of 28 for 221 yards and one touchdown and put up a 28-0 lead on Chicago, led by — who else? — Dalton. It’s the preseason. So it’s important not to take stats too seriously. But it’s a bad look to see the Bears letting a quarterback go and paying someone else more, only to have their former QB school his former team (and the new QB).
So again, thank goodness for Justin Fields.
The Bears have insisted he won’t be the starter. (That, in itself, is looking like an embarrassing statement, too.) But he should start in Week 1. It’s becoming more and more clear. Because when Fields entered the game against the Bills, he was a saving grace for Pace and coach Matt Nagy. Fields looked nasty, both as a runner and a thrower. He’s clearly the best quarterback on the team.
Fields wasn’t perfect. He finished 9 of 19 for 80 yards with four carries for 46 yards. But it was clear enough that Chicago was lucky to have him at quarterback.
Pace could have looked utterly foolish in what appears to be mismanagement with Dalton and Trubisky. Luckily, he drafted Fields, likely a saving grace. And so Pace only had a mildly embarrassing day — rather than suffering from total embarrassment.
Maybe the Bears will be smart enough to let Fields continue to make them look good.
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Storylines to watch during week 2 of the NFL preseason
