Justin Fields poses dilemma for Chicago Bears as they secure No 1 Draft pick after inspired display from quarterback
Justin Fields gets the backing of teammates and fans as the Chicago Bears clinched the No 1 pick at the NFL Draft on Sunday; the Bears continued their strong finish to the season with a victory over the Atlanta Falcons
Last Updated: 01/01/24 12:42pm
It would have been all too easy for the Chicago Bears to coast to the No 1 pick at the NFL Draft with definitive plans to address the quarterback position again - instead, Justin Fields has cornered them into a decision.
Chicago locked in top spot at April's Draft on Sunday by way of the Carolina Panthers losing to the Jacksonville Jaguars, putting them in pole position to take USC quarterback and expected No 1 pick Caleb Williams.
Meanwhile, Fields had just thrown for 268 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 45 yards and a score to lead the Bears to their fourth win in the last five games with a 37-17 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.
By the close chants of 'We want Fields' could be heard ringing around Soldier Field as Bears fans made it be known of their desire to move forward with the former first-round pick.
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"I definitely will remember this game for the rest of my life," said Fields in his on-field interview after the game. "Just the atmosphere, the fans, the chants, the snow. I don't like snow as a quarterback, but it was great. Playing the hometown team where I'm from and beating them. So it was a good day today."
Safety Jaquan Brisker echoed the crowd's sentiment as he underlined his faith in Fields, while wide receiver D.J. Moore made a point of noting how the team's front office would have also heard the chants from their box in the stadium.
"I said it before, I'm going to keep saying it. Today, the Houdini act should've put the nail in," said Moore. "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 'Houdini act' to which he was referring came on third-and-eight in the third quarter when Fields miraculously escaped three tackle attempts before skating away for a run of 13 yards to move the chains, a play that would somewhat typify his resilient response this season in the face of murmurs his time in Chicago could be coming to an end.
"I felt like there was one guy, boom," Fields explained. "Another guy was on me, boom. Then another guy was on me, boom. And when I got up the third time, I looked up and I just saw green grass."
Fields had showcased his arm talent earlier in the game with a flawless back-shoulder touchdown pass to find Moore in the very corner of the end zone to open the scoring. Moore's 159 receiving yards reiterated his blossoming partnership with Fields while lifting him to 1,300 receiving yards on the yard, the most by a Bears player since 2013.
"He makes plays like the Lamar Jacksons and the Patrick Mahomes', and guys don't really hype it up like they would other quarterbacks," said edge rusher Montez Sweat of Fields. "I'm happy he's on my side."
Fields has completed 216 of 354 passes (61 per cent) for 2,414 yards, 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions this season, while rushing for 630 yards and two scores having missed five games through injury. Chicago's strong finish to campaign has not only eased some pressure on head coach Matt Eberflus, but blurred the lines as to how they approach the Draft.
Both USC's Williams and North Carolina's Drake Maye stand to be on offer at the top of the first round, while Chicago could seek to strengthen a defense trending towards the best in the league, or turn to Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr in view of pairing him with Moore.
Having seen his side start the year 3-8 amid locker room tensions and awkward finger-pointing, Fields has issued the perfect response to complicate matters heading into the offseason. Should Chicago decide to move on, there will be no shortage of possible suitors.
