Getty Micah Parsons would be "shocked" if the Bears didn't build around quarterback Justin Fields in the 2023 offseason.
Even some of the NFL’s brightest young stars are starting to come to the defense of Justin Fields over the speculation about his future with the Chicago Bears.
ESPN’s Booger McFarland raised the issue of whether the Bears should use the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft on Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, tweeting on January 11 that Young’s size (6-foot, 194 pounds) “isn’t a reason for Chicago not to take him” and the real reason should be that the Bears believe Fields is better than Young.
So, is Fields better than Young? It might be too early to tell, but Dallas Cowboys star linebacker Micah Parsons said he would be “shocked” if the Bears didn’t move back from the No. 1 overall spot and “go above and beyond” to build around Fields.
“Mhmmm can’t make a statement like that!” Parsons tweeted back at both McFarland and ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky. “I’ll be shocked if Chicago don’t trade back or don’t go above and beyond to build around Justin!”
Parsons isn’t the first notable NFL player to tout the upside of Fields. Quarterback Jalen Hurts and cornerback Darius Slay were both full of compliments for Fields before and after the Bears’ matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 15. Future Hall of Fame pass rusher Von Miller also talked up Fields on his podcast, The Voncast, saying he believes Fields has all the tools to be one of the “greatest quarterbacks ever in NFL history.”
Poles ‘Would Have to Be Blown Away’ to Draft a QB
Ever since the Bears locked up the No. 1 overall pick last weekend, fans and media types alike have been discussing whether it would be better for the Bears to build around Fields as their franchise quarterback or instead use the pick to take a new quarterback who would replace Fields as their starter for next season. After all, it is the first time the Bears have held the No. 1 overall selection since the 1940s.
In almost every case, the quarterback-in-question for the Bears to consider taking is Young, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2021 for his stellar season at Alabama. Young is a quarterback prospect who has been wowing scouts for more than a year, primarily because of his poise and success as a pocket passer against SEC competition. Up until the Houston Texans lost the top pick, it was presumed Young would go No. 1 overall.
The Bears, however, don’t sound like they are leaving the door open for the possibility of drafting a new quarterback in 2023. In fact, when general manager Ryan Poles was asked about the subject, he told reporters that he plans for Fields to be the Bears’ starter when the 2023 season opens and would have to be “absolutely blown away” by one of the upcoming QB prospects to consider drafting one of them with the top pick.
“We’re going to do the same as we’ve always done, we’re going to evaluate the draft class,” Poles told reporters on January 10. “But I would say this: I’d have to be absolutely blown away to make that type of decision.”
Bears Have Tons of Resources to Build Around Fields
The Bears certainly have a stockpile of resources to build around Fields as their franchise quarterback during the 2023 offseason. Not only do they hold the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft — which can be traded to acquire more premium assets or starting players — but they are also projected to have more than $100 million in cap space to use on acquiring high-level players and front-loading new contracts.
According to Over the Cap, the Bears are projected to have at least $40 million more in terms of effective cap space for 2023 than the next-closest team (Atlanta Falcons). The biggest advantage to being so much better off than the rest of the teams is they can outbid just about everyone for some of their top free agents targets on the market. For instance, if Washington defensive tackle Daron Payne interests them, they could rather easily push the Commanders out of the running with Payne looking to get paid “what I earned” during his career season in 2022 (11.5 sacks and 18 tackles for loss).
A few defensive studs would help the overall product for the Bears, but helping Fields specifically thrive in the 2023 offense will depend more on how Chicago goes about getting him additional receiving weapons and help on his offensive line. That could mean Poles pursuing a true No. 1 receiver on the trade market or giving the bag to some of the top pass-blockers in the upcoming free agency class. There are also some NFL-ready rookies that could interest them, especially if they trade back from No. 1.