Ex-NFL player staunchly believes the Bears should not move on from Justin Fields

Ex-NFL player staunchly believes the Bears should not move on from Justin Fields originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

The Bears will be faced with a major decision this offseason --- one they've answered before. Should they stick with Justin Fields? Or, move on to a different quarterback?

Ex-NFL player Keyshawn Johnson is firmly against the Bears moving on from Fields.

"Here's a quarterback that has had multiple offensive coordinators and head coaches in a three-year span," Johnson said. "This is really his second year ... Now, all of a sudden he gets a chance to start. First-time head coach, first-time offensive coordinator. In his second year in the situation, he doesn't have any real wide receivers. DJ Moore is the only guy.

"What has he done so egregious with all the different stuff that's going on in Chicago that you want to move on from him in Year 2?"

Johnson argues other quarterbacks around the league saw similar question marks because they didn't have the correct situation. What if Trevor Lawrence never played under Doug Pederson? What if the Bills never signed Stefon Diggs to help Josh Allen?

He faults the Bears' situation for not being up to standard with a young quarterback's needs. Johnson isn't a fan of the Bears' wide receiver core, or their roster. He argues the lack of continuity in the coaching staff over Fields' time hinders his ceiling, too.

The point Johnson drives home is the idea that teams must surround their young quarterbacks with solid support systems, or else they will always question their ceiling.

"When you start to think about these young quarterbacks, because I continue to try to educate people to understand, situations and circumstances are important with young quarterbacks. And until you get something and put them around that that will make them successful, you are always gonna scratch your head," Johnson said.

There is an argument to be made about drafting Caleb Williams, however.

Williams, while showing he is human this season, is considered by some as a "generational talent." His ability to create off-script and execute off-platform reminds some of Patrick Mahomes-esque football.

But what good is it if Williams lands in the same situation Fields is in?

"Caleb is gonna be in the same situation. He's going to a bad team in a bad situation," Johnson said.

What's more, Williams told the LA Times his decision to enter the NFL draft will be a "game-time decision." What if Williams is unavailable to draft? Does any other college quarterback possess the prowess and skillset to impress Poles?

If Johnson was in Poles' shoes, he knows what he would do with the Bears' two first-round picks this offseason.

"I'm gonna trust Ryan Poles to do the right thing in terms of using these picks smartly. Because the guy that I would go get for him, the No. 1 guy I would go get, whether it's at the first or the fourth pick, is Marvin Harrison Jr.," Johnson said.

Would he take him with the No. 1 pick?

"I probably would because I think I got my quarterback. Now I need to surround him with some playmakers."

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