Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron provided a major hint on what the future holds for quarterback Justin Fields.
Perhaps the biggest storyline this NFL offseason is the Chicago Bears quarterback situation. The Bears are in the relatively unique position of owning the #1 pick in a year with a great quarterback draft class despite not having been anywhere near the worst team in the NFL this past season. Chicago is picking ninth by virtue of their 7-10 record, but they own the top overall pick due to a brilliant trade with the Carolina Panthers ahead of the 2023 draft.
At the start of the offseason, Chicago quickly ditched their completely inept offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, who has already landed on his feet in Las Vegas. Replacing Getsy is Shane Waldron, who has been thrust into the promising but challenging situation of uncertainty at the quarterback position.
Whether or not Waldron already knows the Bears' intention as far as a choice between current QB Justin Fields and star prospect Caleb Williams is anyone's guess. Of course, the public does not and cannot know the truth until Fields is officially traded or Williams is drafted, so regardless of what he knows, Waldron has to keep his cards close to his chest.
Shane Waldron on who he likes on the current Bears roster: The quarterback position with that ability to be explosive, to be a playmaker, to work off schedule. Those things are all good pieces to an offense that really finished strong last year.?
Justin Fields = QB1 ??? pic.twitter.com/kkUw7KARMN
— Justin Fields Fan Club (@JustinFieldsFC) February 22, 2024
This was reflected to a degree in his recent media availability, but he did allude to his excitement about the offensive talent already in place- including the current quarterback.
It's no secret that Fields has some tremendous physical talent, both in terms of athleticism and ability to throw the football. However, with a revolving door of offensive and head coaching across his first few seasons, it's been hard for his decision-making and processing to evolve to the point where it needs to be for him to have consistent success.
Do the Bears believe Waldron can help him take the next step, or is this all just a smokescreen to elevate Fields's trade value ahead of picking Williams? We likely won't know until draft day, or nearly before, but the situation still bears monitoring as it develops.
