The Chicago Bears made a questionable decision on Wednesday, firing most of its offensive staff but keeping head coach Matt Eberflus for another year. Eberflus has not led the team to a positive season yet, but he will get another chance to change fortunes.
With the Bears holding the first overall pick in the draft due to the 2023 trade with the Carolina Panthers and a major decision looming on Justin Fields' future, everyone expected the franchise to go to a completely fresh start and look for a new head coach. However, they decided to go in a different direction.
NFL fans couldn't believe that the Bears decided to let Eberflus have a say on what to do with Fields and the first-overall pick, and they had all kinds of fun with the organization's decision:
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What's the Bears decision regarding Justin Fields?
After three years, Fields did show some improvement during his career, but the question is whether it's enough for Chicago to give him a second contract and make him their official franchise quarterback.
In 2023, with the first-overall pick and Fields already on the roster, the Bears didn't need to draft a quarterback, so they traded back with the Carolina Panthers. But Chicago got lucky: the Panthers and Bryce Young struggled massively, and their first-round pick became the first overall... which they used as an asset in the deal.
So that's the big decision. Two blue-chip quarterbacks are coming from the 2024 class: USC quarterback Caleb Williams and North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye. Both are game-changers, and Chicago can choose whichever it wants - but doing so would end Justin Fields' tenure in the organization.
That's your decision. Is Justin Fields good enough, and do you trust him to continue developing as your quarterback? Or are you willing to reset, get a quarterback with a higher potential, and go from there? Mind you, Fields is entering the fourth year of his contract, which means that Ryan Poles will need to negotiate a deal with him in case he stays.
We'll only know about this decision in April. Until then, it's only smokes coming from Chicago. However, no other team will be as interesting to follow this offseason.
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