This whole season, and still, Justin Fields' future with the Bears has been in flux.
The Bears got off to a brutal 0-4 start to the season, with blowout losses to the Packers and Chiefs with a late-game lead blown to the Broncos. Since then, the Bears have improved. They've won their last five home games, finishing with a 5-3 home record this season.
But still, questions remain surrounding Fields. But not to the fans. At least, not the ones at Soldier Field on Sunday during the Bears' win over the Falcons. Their minds are made up on their quarterback.
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"We want Fields!" chants flooded the stadium after the Bears officially notched the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
"It was great," Fields said after the game on the fans' chants. "Ever since the moment I got here, the fans here have been great ... Chicago Bears fans definitely No. 1 in the world. I love y'all. We love y'all as a team.
"I will remember this game for the rest of my life. The atmosphere, the fans, the chants, the snow."
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The Carolina Panthers defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Arizona Cardinals defeated the Philadelphia Eagles. That combination assured the Panthers will have the worst record in the NFL --- regardless of the outcome of their final game --- giving the Bears the No. 1 pick in the draft.
Like last year, the Bears have the right to draft first, should they choose.
And therein lies the overarching question --- will the Bears use the No. 1 pick to select a top player or a replacement for Fields? Or, like last year, will they trade the pick to recoup a haul and trade back in the draft?
If you recall, the Bears traded the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft to the Carolina Panthers. In return, the Bears received the No. 9 pick, a 2023 second-round pick (Tyrique Stevenson), a 2024 first-round pick (which ended up No. 1 overall in the 2024 NFL draft), a 2025 second-round pick and DJ Moore.
Theoretically, the Bears could get a haul for this season's No. 1 pick. Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Marvin Harrison Jr. are all arguably more coveted assets than last year's herd. But, the Bears could use one of them themselves.
If they decide to move on from Justin Fields, they will undoubtedly use the pick to draft a quarterback. But if they continue with Fields, they could draft Harrison Jr. to give Fields another weapon next to Moore.
Either way, they choose, their earning of back-to-back No. 1 picks is historic. Before the Bears, only eight teams have earned back-to-back No. 1 picks. Stay tuned this offseason to see what the Bears do with their second No. 1 pick.