The Chicago Bears have been in a quarterback competition since Week 3, but they’ve yet to name the starter. That could change soon, though, as Matt Nagy shared an update on Wednesday that made it seem like Justin Fields was going to be named the starter for this weekend.
The nfl news is a baffling update on the Chicago Bears’ QB situation which only casts further doubt on Justin Fields being named the full-time starter.
Justin Fields, the rookie quarterback who was chosen in the first round, has been the buzz of Chi-Town since his arrival. Fields has all of the makings of a guy who can start in the NFL for a long time, which is something that most Chicago Bears fans are yearning for. Fields should be named the full-time starter, and the Bears should take advantage of the chance to give him valuable experience.
This has not been the case so far owing to the presence of experienced quarterback Andy Dalton. Despite Dalton’s knee injury suffered during the Bears’ Week 2 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, head coach Matt Nagy seems to be sticking to his guns in his desire to keep Dalton as the starter.
Matt Nagy provided a perplexing update on the Chicago Bears’ starting quarterback competition.
Getty Images/Jonathan Daniel/Justin Fields
In his second straight game as the Bears’ starting quarterback, Dalton sustained a first-half knee injury while scrambling. The veteran quarterback was forced to leave the game and started receiving testing to determine the extent of his injuries. Early indications indicate that Dalton’s ACL has not been torn (which was initially feared). There’s still a chance he’ll miss a couple of games.
Fields was pushed into the starting position when Dalton was injured early in Week 2. The Bears were victors against the Bengals, who were headed by Joe Burrow. Fields, on the other hand, did not have an easy time in his first taste of NFL play.
Fields completed 6-of-13 passes for 60 yards and one interception. On 10 carries, the rookie quarterback gained another 31 yards, bringing his total to 91 yards.
Despite Fields’ and the Bears’ offense’s “poor” performance, a frequent question rang out after the victory. Will the Bears re-award Dalton the starting position over Fields if he regains his health?
Matt Nagy wants Justin Fields to stay on the bench.
#Bears PR has just entered the media room with the following statement from Matt Nagy:
When Andy Dalton is healthy, he is the team’s starting quarterback.
20 September 2021 — Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs)
Yes, seems to be the simple answer to that question. When healthy, Dalton, according to Brad Biggs and the Bears’ public relations staff, is the undisputed starter.
Having said that, Nagy’s post-game remarks made it seem as though there was more to the decision than simply Dalton’s health. When asked directly by a Bears reporter whether Dalton would be his starting if he were healthy, Nagy said, “That’s something I’m not going to go into with strategy.”
When the reporter said the inquiry wasn’t necessarily about the plan, Nagy replied, “Of course it is.” That is a whole plan. That is a whole scheme.”
When you combine these responses with the Bears’ public relations messaging, it’s easy to see Nagy favoring Dalton over Fields outright. Nagy seems to prefer Dalton and the way he leads the Bears offense over Fields, based on the “scheme” responses.
Justin Fields has to start for the Chicago Bears at some point, right?
Reporter: “If Andy [Dalton] is healthy, is he still your starter?”
“That’s something I’m not going to go into with scheme,” Matt Nagy says.
“That isn’t a scheme,” the reporter says.
Nagy: “It is,” he says.
September 20, 2021 — Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano)
While the Kansas City Chiefs’ treatment of rookie quarterback Patrick Mahomes popularized the notion of benching a rookie quarterback for the whole season, most clubs prefer to start first-round rookies.
Last season, the Los Angeles Chargers had a lot of success with Justin Herbert as quarterback. Cam Newton was released by the New England Patriots to make room for Mac Jones. Both the New York Jets and the Jacksonville Jaguars selected their rookie quarterbacks as starting on day one.
Even though Nagy loves Dalton, getting Fields on the field on game day is critical for the Bears’ long-term success.
Dalton’s current injury condition is worth keeping an eye on, especially if he is cleared to play on Sundays. Fields’ NFL future will be heavily influenced by how the Bears handle this little quarterback dispute.
ESPN provided all numbers.
Following Cam Newton’s unexpected release, Matt Nagy has run out of excuses to not start Justin Fields.
The justin fields nfl draft is a baffling update by the Chicago Bears’ head coach. It casts doubt on whether or not Justin Fields will be named the full-time starter for the upcoming season.
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