Justin Fields' injury could irrevocably alter Bears' hopes for clear rebuild plan

CHICAGO -- Expectations aside, the 2023 Bears had a clear goal entering the season—something they needed to accomplish before entering next offseason.

That had nothing to do with wins, a playoff berth, or a division title.

All that mattered, at least bullet point 1A on the Bears' season manifesto, was to get a full evaluation of Justin Fields' potential as a franchise quarterback. That complete evaluation would have to include the third-year quarterback playing most, if not all, games and showing clear growth along the way.

Hopes for that complete evaluation and a clear path forward for the Ryan Poles-Matt Eberflus rebuild now hang in the balance after Fields exited Sunday's 19-13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings with a right-hand injury. Fields wanted to return to the game but could not grip the ball.

X-rays were negative, and Fields will get an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of the injury.

The results of the MRI will dictate the path forward for the next 11 games and whether or not the Bears will enter the offseason with a clear direction at quarterback.

An injury to Fields that keeps him out for weeks or months would be devastating, no matter what point in the season it comes.

But that it arrived just as Fields has seemingly found his rhythm -- 617 yards, 8 touchdowns in his last two games -- muddies the water even more for the Bears and adds a "what could have been" element to a season that many thought had was getting turned around.

"It definitely sucks," running back D'Onta Foreman said after the game.

"I know he's going to do what he needs to do to get back and guys just got to step up," cornerback Jaylon Johnson said.

The Bears are 1-5 after Sunday's loss to the Vikings. While there are winnable games left on their schedule, the injury to Fields likely stamps out whatever flicker of hope remained of a 2023 turnaround.

But the more significant issue is not their 2023 season hopes, which were already on life support, but the possibility that Fields' injury could envelop their rebuild path in a shroud of uncertainty.

The Bears already look like they'll have a top-five pick, courtesy of the Carolina Panthers. At 1-5 and with Fields potentially out for an indefinite period, the Bears could be looking at two top-five picks in a draft with two elite quarterbacks in Caleb Williams and Drake Maye.

The Bears liked what they saw from Fields last season when he electrified behind a leaky offensive line and with minimal help at the skill positions. They traded the No. 1 pick to the Panthers this offseason, signaling belief that Fields could cement himself as a franchise quarterback and they wouldn't need to reset the rookie quarterback contract clock.

Fields worked tirelessly in the offseason to fine-tune his mechanics, and there was widespread belief inside Halas Hall that a take-off season as a passer was coming for the young quarterback.

A slow start had the "Faith in Fields Meter" at an all-time low in Chicago. But back-to-back four-touchdown games against the Denver Broncos and Washington Commanders had the meter swinging back the other way. The train Bears faithful had sent to Los Angeles to pick up Caleb Williams had been stopped somewhere around Nebraska.

Fields entered Sunday's game with the chance to become just the sixth quarterback in NFL history to throw four touchdown passes in three consecutive games. The accuracy had been pinpoint, the decision-making fast, and the big plays started coming in bunches.

It seemed that the quarterback who was promised had arrived.

The Bears needed to see 12 more games of growth from Fields to feel comfortable entering the offseason with a plan to both pick-up Fields' fifth-year option and perhaps get to work on a long-term extension.

It's one thing to pass on an average quarterback draft class. It's another to say no to a generational talent in Williams and perhaps another in Maye.

You have to be 100 percent sure you have your guy to do that. Even then, it will be nearly impossible to say no to resetting the rookie quarterback clock with Williams or Maye, especially for a team that still feels years away from being a legitimate playoff contender.

Fields needed to keep the arrow pointing up. Show beyond a doubt that the past two weeks were more than blips against atrocious pass defenses. There needed to be proof of progress against quality opponents, and the Bears had to see concrete evidence that Fields is a guy to build a franchise around. A guy who can win you a game with his arm when the game is on the line.

That evidence isn't found in two games against the Broncos and Commanders. It needed to come in the months following.

Now, the Bears await MRI results that will determine where their season goes and how confident they can be in the rebuild path that lies ahead.

Will they enter the next phase with a clear vision? Or will they walk into the mist uncertain about their future at the sport's most vital position?

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