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Bears head coach Matt Nagy talks current starting QB situation in Chicago
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The Chicago Bears were so impressed with Justin Fields that the organization made a trade up to the No. 11 spot to land the former Ohio State quarterback. Several analysts thought that move was the steal of the draft this year.
It doesn’t mean that Fields is going to be the Day 1 starter, though. Head coach Matt Nagy suggested that the first-round draft pick is still going to have to earn the job in Chicago.
Recently, Nagy made it clear that the Bears still have a starting quarterback, and his name is Andy Dalton.
“Andy is the starter,” Nagy told reporters. “Andy’s going to get the one reps.”
Of course, Nagy is making this comment four months before the start of the season, allowing Fields plenty of time to prove he can be the guy in Chicago to start the season. There’s still a lot of time between now and the start of the 2021 NFL season.
Nagy says the reason to keep Dalton as the starter and allow Fields time to get acclimated is all about what’s in the best interest of both the quarterback and the organization.
“I know that time is the biggest question right now for Justin and I completely understand that, because there is an excitement, there is that want for all of us to see what Justin can do,” Nagy said, per 247Sports. “We’d be lying to you if we didn’t say that or believe that. But we got to make sure as we go through this thing that we also do what’s best for the Bears and for Justin.”
So, Dalton is the No. 1 guy in Chicago. For now. But a lot can change in four months.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB