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Report: Justin Fields will have ‘The best chance’ to win Bears’ starting QB job in training camp
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Former Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields will reportedly have every opportunity to win the Bears’ QB job coming out of training camp.
He’ll be competing with veteran quarterback Andy Dalton, who went 4-5 with the Dallas Cowboys last season. The Bears signed him this offseason to be the starter, but later traded up for Fields in the NFL Draft.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Fields will have “The best chance” to win that starting job in the preseason.
“This offseason the Bears assessed their situation and said, ‘Look, we’ve been an 8-8 team, we just need an upgrade at quarterback that can get us closer to 10 wins,'” Fowler said on Get Up Monday morning, via Bleacher Report. “They felt Andy Dalton did that. They said, ‘Hey, we can win 10 games with this guy, he’s a slight upgrade at the position.’ But then they had the chance at Justin Fields, crazy athlete, great ability.”
“Now, if Fields is just undeniable over the next three to four months in training camp, they’re not going to just sit him just for fun or posterity just to play the veteran. So they’re going to give him the best chance, but they’re OK sitting Fields if Dalton has a good grasp on the job and they feel like they can win with him. So, they believe they’re going to be better regardless. It just depends on whether Fields is ready Week 1.”
Fields fell to the No. 11 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Last season, Fields completed 70 percent of his passes for 2,100 yards and 22 touchdowns in eight games. His most impressive performance came against Clemson in the College Football Playoff — 22-of-28 for 386 yards and six touchdown passes.
Earlier this month, former Bears quarterback Jay Cutler said he thought it would be best if Fields sat for the beginning of the season.
“I think they can win games with Andy and kind of float the ship along until the kid is ready,” Cutler said.
If Fields does start Week 1 for the Bears, it will be against the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 12.
Spenser is the news manager at Saturday Road and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.