An all-time bad week for the Chicago Bears has sparked a genuine conversation about the team's future at quarterback, and right now, you'd be hard-pressed to find a pundit who will confidently vouch for Justin Fields being the answer.
Hall-of-Fame running back O.J. Simpson weighed in on the Bears' poor performance in Sunday's 41-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, suggesting Fields' days as a starter could be numbered.
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"If Fields continues to think and not react, they got a guy named [Tyson] Bagent, their rookie, that I predict you will be seeing him before the season’s over," Simpson said.
Simpson then compared Bagent to Brock Purdy, who was selected by the San Francisco 49ers with the final pick of the 2022 draft and is quickly emerging as a star under center.
The Bears will have to decide after the season whether to pick up the fifth-year option on Fields’ rookie deal, but some experts, like former Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz, think benching Fields is the team's best option.
"This whole situation with him demoralized his team. If they don’t make a change, I think it’s just going to get worse – if that’s possible for this to get worse," Martz said in an interview with The 33rd Team. "It’s a demoralized football team that’s heading down."
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On the other hand, head coach Matt Eberflus believes Fields and the Bears are on the brink of a breakthrough, despite all the evidence to the contrary.
Fields completed 11 passes for 99 yards, and rushed for 47 yards on 11 attempts against the Chiefs on Sunday.
On the season, he has completed 58% of his passes for 526 yards, with three touchdowns and four interceptions.