The NFC North is by no means an easy division. Though there may be a lack of championships in this division, at least in recent memory, they always seem to churn out more than one competitor come playoff time. Needless to say, the Packers tend to be at the front of this conversation year in and year out, and generally speaking the other three teams are left to duke it out with the rest of the conference for wild card spots. Normally at least one of the three is fairly successful in pursuit of that spot, but it really depends on the year.
The reason I bring up this dynamic is because there is one team in this division that has a very well put together roster, but are currently in the middle of a quarterback dilemma. After moving on from their failed hopes for Mitchell Trubisky, the Bears scrambled over the summer, picking up quite a few familiar faces. One of them, Nick Foles, has a Super Bowl ring with the Eagles, and another, Andy Dalton, had a very solid record of making it to the playoffs when he was playing for the Bengals. Both have had a lot of questions in the past few years, but at the same time both have proven they can win.
They also happened to pick up one more option during the draft. Justin Fields, fresh out of his time at Ohio State, has made a habit of winning throughout his football career. He’s fast, athletic, sees the field, and has an amazing arm. On top of all the hype he’s been getting, he also showed out during preseason, so much so that people have started to talk.
Although I believe there are certainly situations that warrant waiting to start rookie quarterbacks, I don’t believe this is one of them. This team is loaded with talent. Their defense has been top shelf for some time now, and although they have been a bit weakened in the secondary, their defensive front is still imposing. Their offense also has some strong players, such as Allen Robinson, that could do some real damage if given a proper shot.
What this all ends up adding up to, is a question of when? Andy Dalton has been handed the starting job for now, but I don’t believe anyone expects him to keep it. Unfortunately he hasn’t aged well, and he showed just last season what a step down he was from Dak Prescott. Under the right conditions, this Bears squad could make a playoff run and make some real strides of growth. Under the wrong conditions, players may get frustrated, leadership may come into question, and windows may close.
From my perspective, the slack should be unbelievably tight. In a league where a single loss can send you out of the playoffs, you can’t hesitate to make the right call. Putting in Fields will boost the morale and performance of a solid roster, but it is really so much more than that. The true benefit would be giving an entire fanbase a renewed sense of hope and passion in the face of their very recent disappointment.