NEWSLETTER
The Bears landing the first overall pick was always going to lead to scuttlebutt regarding the possibility of the team taking a quarterback at the top of the 2023 NFL Draft.
But GM Ryan Poles pretty much put out that fire almost immediately.
Justin Fields remains QB1:
Poles’ answer to being asked if he was planning to have Fields being the Bears’ starting quarterback moving forward was “Yeah.” And, sure, he offered up that he’d have to be “absolutely blown away” to move off that plan. But that felt like a nod to teams who would want to trade for the first overall pick to take a quarterback. As if to say “we’ve got our guy and are keeping him, but you better come correct with your trade offers if you want to take your guy with our first overall pick.”
Probably my favorite part of the Fields discussion from Poles was how he talked about his quarterback. Poles acknowledged Fields’ playmaking skills. He also highlighted his ability as an impact player. But he also made sure to note that Fields needs to make improvements as a passer. No arguments here. Moreover, I dig that Poles said it publicly, too. The 1-2 punch of a public vote of confidence for Fields while also sprinkling in a reminder that he still has work to do is a nice way to strike a balance.
At the end of the day, I think the Bears would do well by leveraging the No. 1 pick to accumulate draft picks and other assets that can accelerate this rebuild. And I think that is what will happen.
