Bears GM Ryan Poles explains decision to stick with Justin Fields

The Chicago Bears, who found themselves under new management this offseason, had the golden ticket with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. They could have gone any way they wanted to and set themselves up well for their future, whether Justin Fields was replaced at quarterback or not.

In the end, though, Ryan Poles stuck with Fields and moved that No. 1 pick, which became Bryce Young, to the Panthers. During an interview on ‘The Rich Eisen Show’, Poles broke down the process that the franchise went through to make that major decision for the franchise’s future.

“We had to take our time with that decision. You never want to be in that spot but opportunities can present itself to improve your football team,” Poles said. “We just had to figure out how we wanted to do that. We went through the whole process, we had to look at all the quarterbacks. And then kind of see how we could impact our team in the biggest way.”

By eventually electing to trade the top selection, they added a weapon in WR DJ Moore that could be a great target for Fields in his third season. They were also able to acquire the No. 9 pick, which they used on OT Darnell Wright, and three more picks along with him.

By the time the decision was over and done with, Poles felt as though they improved the Bear’s roster for the better.

“It was a cool opportunity to improve our team today this year. But also set us up for success with draft capital down the road as well,” said Poles. “We could do both things at the same time, which got us excited. I thought it worked out really well.”

The matter at hand now is determining whether the potential gamble on Fields will pay off. He has struggled more often than not on a lackluster Bears team over his first two years. However, he showed flashes last fall of being a player that could soon make the leap to stardom.

With that vision for Fields as his focus, Poles has full faith in Chicago’s future with Fields as their QB1.

“I was really encouraged in the way Justin played in terms of making plays. I’m excited to see him take that next step as a passer,” said Poles.

Fields guarantees he’ll be the first 4,000-yard single-season passer in Bears history

Justin Fields certainly doesn’t lack confidence. After recently making headlines for claiming he’s among the best five running quarterbacks ever in the league, he has declared another bold statement. Fields guaranteed he’ll be the first quarterback in Chicago Bears history to throw for over 4,000 yards in a single season.

“I will. And I plan on doing it this year, too. I plan on doing it this year,” Fields said on the “All Things Covered” podcast.

Fields has a long way to go. The former Ohio State star threw for 2,242 passing yards last season and 17 touchdowns. Fields played and started in 15 games for the Bears. The second-year QB completed 192 passes at a 60.4% completion rate.

While Fields’ goal is lofty, it isn’t impossible. Nine players recorded 4,000 passing yards or more last season. This exclusive list was highlighted by Patrick Mahomes’ 5,250 passing yards, good for the fourth-most ever in a single season.