Why Chicago Bears QB Justin Fields will improve in 2022, despite doubts

The Chicago Bears offseason has yet to yield quarterbacks Justin Fields dynamic playmakers on offense. Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles allowed Allen Robinson to leave the team in free agency. Poles has added receivers Bryon Pringle, David Moore, and Equanimeous St. Brown through free agency.

None of those players project to be any better than a number three wide receiver.

In the draft, Poles took 25-year-old rookie Velus Jones Jr. He could be the next Deebo Samuel or the next failed gadget player the Chicago Bears have brought in.

So far, Poles has addressed remaking the offensive line by signing Lucas Patrick to play center and using fifth through seventh-round picks to fix the Bears’ weakest position group.

Poles has improved the tight end position through free agency but unless Cole Kmet makes a major leap forward, it is still not an elite position group.

It is fair to wonder if the new Chicago Bears front office is sold on Fields being a franchise quarterback.

Some have gone so far as to say the Chicago Bears are going to ruin Fields.

Despite the off-season that did not yield Fields a better offensive line or wide receiver, Bears’ head coach Matt Eberflus still expects his quarterback to take a step forward in his second NFL season.

Someone must not have told Coach Eberflus that his boss did not do much in the off-season to help Fields get better. Although, Eberflus has this crazy notion that if Fields works on his fundamentals, timing, and decision-making, his quarterback will get better.

He has even gone so far as to believe the offense should be built around what Fields does well and not shoehorn him into an offense that might not fit his strengths.

Chicago Bears fans can be excused for being a bit cynical after four years of former head coach Matt Nagy arguing the exact opposite concepts. Detoxing from the Nagy era takes some time.

There seems to be an adjustment period in the Bears’ nation to the patient roster-building approach under Poles.

Again, that approach has not been used probably since the beginning of the Jerry Angelo era. Towards the end of the former general manager tenure, he was trading away draft picks to get Jay Cutler. Phil Emery followed Angelo and traded for Brandon Marshall, drafted Alshon Jeffrey, and signed Martellus Bennett.

Then there was seven years of former general manager Ryan Pace making aggressive moves to upgrade the offense. The aggressive, quick-fix approach led to Angelo, Emery, and Pace being fired. Maybe Poles is on to something by trying something different.

Despite the lack of playmakers and big question marks on the offensive line, it is not unreasonable to expect Justin Fields to improve upon his rookie season.