If Justin Fields remains with the Chicago Bears, he will play under his third offensive coordinator in four years and do so under the weight of extensive and wide-ranging opinions about his fitness for the job.
Luke Getsy, Fields’ most recent OC, recently opened up about the QB after landing a new gig of his own with the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason.
“Tremendous growth for Justin,” Getsy said on Friday, February 16, per ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez. “Like I said when I was there, he’s one of the best human beings I’ve ever got to work with. It’s just the mentality that he brought every day, the consistent approach, the kind of man that he is. Just really, it was a blessing to work with him and he was someone that just came to work every day to get better and better, and I think he’ll continue to do so.”
Good Chance Justin Fields Won’t Play for Bears in 2024
GettyChicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields.
Whether Fields will continue to do so in Chicago remains to be seen, though that outcome currently appears unlikely.
The Bears hold the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft and most analysts expect general manager Ryan Poles to select Caleb Williams out of USC. Williams has drawn more comparisons to Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes than any other prospect in the past seven years — quite the compliment, as Mahomes has played in four Super Bowls and captured three rings over that span.
If the team drafts Williams, Chicago is likely to trade Fields. There has been some talk within the organization of drafting Williams and holding onto Fields for at least a year, an idea first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Super Bowl Sunday. However, former Bears Director of Player Personnel Josh Lucas said that while intriguing, that proposition is risky at best.
“It would be risky from a team dynamic standpoint,” Lucas told SB Nation’s Windy City Gridiron Thursday. “But if you think it out and let Caleb sit for a year and you still continue to build your team and you get another year of Justin on a cheap deal, it’s not the craziest thing.”
Raiders Among Viable Trade Partners With Bears for Justin Fields
GettyQuarterback Justin Fields of the Chicago Bears.
Somewhat ironically, the Raiders are reasonable trade partners for Fields, which could result in the two reuniting in Las Vegas.
The odds on that seem slim, even if the chances the Raiders go after a new quarterback in the draft, free agency and/or via trade are relatively high. Getsy and Fields worked together for two years in Chicago, but the results were a far cry from magnificent.
Fields did improve his completion percentage each season with Getsy, though by only 1.5% and 1.0%, respectively. The quarterback finished ninth in MVP voting following the 2022 campaign, though much of that had to do with the 1,143 yards and 8 TDs he produced as a rusher of the football — the second most prolific rushing stat line by any signal-caller in NFL history.
Fields had moments as a passer in 2023, throwing for 4 TDs in back-to-back games against the Denver Broncos and Washington Commanders in Weeks 4 and 5. However, he never developed in the way the franchise hoped, particularly when it came to seeing the field, reading defenses and making consistently good decisions that would allow the Bears to push the football downfield effectively.
As such, it seems unlikely that a new Raiders regime will choose to reunite Fields with Getsy, though anything is possible as the NFL barrels toward free agency and the trade season.
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Ex-Bears OC Getsy Speaks Candidly on Justin Fields After Landing Job With Raiders