The Bears ended Week 7, losing to the Buccaneers 3-38, a devastating loss. With a 3-4 record, the Bears have been living up to the average team-mold they have created for themselves over the past few seasons. Still, many fans wonder if Justin Fields, the rookie from Ohio State, may become the quarterback of the Bear’s dreams: a permanent one. With the season still young, only time will tell what future awaits Justin Fields and the Bears. 

A promising aspect to the start of this season is the Bears’ dominating defense. Roquan Smith and Khalil Mack have led the “Monsters of the Midway” to force 3-point conversions, third down stops, and multiple sacks. While their defense may bend at times, it refuses to break. (Until last Sunday!) Furthermore, in spite of the Bears’ flimsy offense, Justin Fields has proven able to adapt to pressure situations in the pocket. If Fields is able to become more comfortable at his position, the Bears could be a formidable team in the future. 

Now let’s discuss the bad: first of all the Bears’ weak offense has been putting a lot of weight on the young quarterback’s shoulders. Overall, every rookie quarterback this year has experienced a rough start, so to say that Justin Fields is just awful is false. Fresh out of college, Fields is still working through rookie mistakes, and needs the right offense and coaching staff to support him. Unfortunately, the Bears don’t have this, which has resulted in Fields getting sacked nine times against the Browns in his first NFL career start. Those who dismiss these offensive flaws countering that “defense wins championships” are mistaken. Although the Bears’ defense is strong, it is not sustainable without a strong offense to allow them time to rest. 

But what does DePaul Prep think?

I asked our resident Bears die-hards, Mr. Petros and Mr. Cadwallader, to find out.

Do you believe Justin Fields will become the franchise quarterback and why?

Petros: I do, I think that they will have new coaches soon. New coaches will build around Justin Fields. And he has a lot of talent that a lot of other quarterbacks don’t have.

Cadwallader: I do think Justin Fields will become the Bears’ franchise quarterback eventually. I think it’s going to take a new front office and a new coaching staff to do that. The current coaching staff and front office has not yet put him into a position to succeed. Fields is skilled enough and they spent a lot to get him (both in draft picks, and wasted money in free agency on Andy Dalton, Marquise Goodwin and Jimmy Graham), so if this staff cannot get the job done, then a new group needs to come in and get the problems fixed.

Where do you see the Bears going this season?

Petros: I see them being a little over .500 but not making the playoffs.

Cadwallader: Unfortunately, I don’t have too high of hopes for the rest of the season. Given what we’ve seen so far, (and the last few years), the Bears can beat the worst teams in the league, and then get killed by the top-tier teams. The upcoming schedule is very difficult. I see the Bears winning maybe another 4 games this year. Hopefully they can move some of their higher priced players that have some trade value left, and begin to build for 2022.

Will Petros or Cadwallader’s predictions ring true? What will Justin Fields’s future hold?

Send your thoughts to The Ram Page, and we might just interview you: [email protected]