Bears hoping to replicate Chiefs’ offensive success with QB Justin Fields

Five years ago, Chicago Bears general manager made the decision to draft Mitchell Trubisky with the No. 2 overall pick, passing on the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson. It’s a mistake that’s haunted him ever since. But his latest decision to draft Justin Fields is one that might be a franchise-altering move that could save his job.

This time, Pace made the right decision when he traded up to land Fields with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. Sure, it cost a future first-round pick along with fourth and fifth-round selections. But it was necessary in order to fix the position that’s snakebitten the Bears franchise for decades.

According to Ian Rapoport, Pace insists that the plan isn’t to rush Fields but to develop him, something that the Kansas City Chiefs were able to do with MVP Patrick Mahomes. Someone that saw that firsthand was Bears coach Matt Nagy, who served as offensive coordinator during Mahomes’ rookie season when he rode the bench behind veteran Alex Smith.

Mahomes didn’t see the field until his sophomore season, and it sounds like the Bears are trying to replicate that plan — substitute Andy Dalton for Smith.

Chicago is trying to surround Fields with everything he needs in order to succeed. Whether that’s spending their next two draft selections on offensive tackles or having a coaching staff in place with Nagy, John DeFilippo, Bill Lazor, along with Dalton and Nick Foles.

The hope is that Fields can develop into a star quarterback in this league and save a Bears franchise that’s been missing a star quarterback since the 1940s.

As Rapoport noted, that’s the dream scenario. And while the Chiefs struck gold in not only landing Mahomes but developing him, the Bears have their best chance to replicate similar success with Fields.

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