Chicago Bears News: Justin Fields shines during practice

The Chicago Bears continued the voluntary portion of their off-season program on Wednesday and the attention still remains on the quarterback position and the position battle between veteran Andy Dalton and rookie Justin Fields.

The Chicago Bears are going to have to make a tough decision with their quarterbacks.

While there is no question that Fields is the long-term answer for the Bears at the quarterback position and projects to be the first franchise quarterback for the organization since Sid Luckman, Bears’ head coach Matt Nagy has maintained that the plan is for Dalton to be the Week 1 starter for the Bears with Fields serving as primary backup during his rookie season.

Despite admitting that the plan is for Dalton to be the starter at the beginning of the season, Nagy has left the door open that Fields could take the position away from the veteran during training camp.

After the performance by both Dalton and Fields during practice on Wednesday, it appears that the Bears’ 11th overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft may well be on his way to being named the starting quarterback. Dalton struggled on Wednesday according to reporters that were on site for practice on Wednesday.

Three interceptions during practice is never an encouraging sign. Three interceptions during 7-on-7 drills is a concerning trait. Look no further than the 2019 and 2020 off-season programs when Mitchell Trubisky was throwing interception after interception. Three interceptions during 7-on-7 drills, while there were only two defensive starters present, is a sign that Dalton may not be the starting quarterback of the Chicago Bears.

Meanwhile, Fields was universally praised for his performance on Wednesday. Fields did have two fumbles during quarterback-center exchanges but he was otherwise impressive during the portion of practice that was open to media members on Wednesday.

If Wednesday’s practice was any indicator, Justin Fields is ready to be the starting quarterback of the Chicago Bears. Throughout Nagy’s media tour after the Bears traded up to select Fields in the 2021 NFL Draft, the head coach has stressed that the Bears’ coaches will know when the time is right for the former Ohio State product to be named the starting quarterback for the team.

Practices like the one that Fields had on Wednesday would certainly give off the impression that he may be ready sooner as opposed to later. Beyond being praised by the Bears’ beat reporters on Wednesday, Fields also received praise from Nagy and wide receiver Darnell Mooney after practice. Nagy raved about Fields’s “rip your heart out” mentality, whereas, Mooney was in awe of Fields’ deep pass ability.

Wednesday certainly was a step towards the direction that has Fields being the Week 1 starting quarterback for the Chicago Bears when the 2021 NFL Regular season starts.