(670 The Score) There's perhaps no more fascinating decision to come in the NFL this offseason than the one the Bears face at quarterback. They must decide whether to commit to Justin Fields and invest around him or use the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft to select a prized quarterback prospect.
Whether it’s Fields or a rookie quarterback leading the Bears in 2024, they'll have already been set up poorly because of the moves made Wednesday at Halas Hall. Head coach Matt Eberflus has been retained for a third season, while offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and two members of his staff were been fired.
In taking this course of action, the Bears will either welcome the 24-year-old Fields back to learn a new offensive scheme for the third time in four NFL seasons or they'll have a high-profile rookie quarterback playing for a potentially lame-duck coaching staff.
While the names and faces have changed over the years inside of Halas Hall, the same incompetence reigns supreme. The Bears seem well-positioned for sustained success thanks to two years of rebuilding led by general manager Ryan Poles, and yet they've begun this offseason by creating a flaw regardless of the path they take in the pivotal quarterback decision that's still to come.
Fields has made strides, albeit it slowly and incrementally, over his three NFL seasons. Fields was selected at No. 11 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, when Chicago was led by then-general manager Ryan Pace and then-head coach Matt Nagy, who were each retained for the 2021 season despite the team coming off consecutive 8-8 campaigns. As chairman George McCaskey and then-president Ted Phillips retained Pace and Nagy, they granted them the right and power to bring in Fields as their next quarterback.
"Have we gotten the quarterback situation completely right? No,” Phillips infamously said in January 2021, three months before Fields was selected. “Have we won enough games? No. Everything else is completely there.”
The Bears went 6-11 in 2021 as Fields' rookie development was stunted by a lame-duck coaching staff looking to save itself. That was the same mistake the Bears had made in 2017, when they drafted quarterback Mitch Trubisky at No. 2 overall and had a lame-duck staff led by head coach John Fox and offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains.
Like Trubisky's, Fields' first NFL season was largely wasted. Fields then spent the past two years working with Getsy and showcased progress in the second half of this past season. Now, another key change has been made, and — if the Bears retain him — Fields will be forced to start anew once again at a point in which he should be thriving.
Getsy’s dismissal was hardly a surprise given the Bears offense's inconsistency. Whether it was Getsy being fired alongside Eberflus or by him, that change was expected.
But if the Bears are intent selecting a prospect like USC quarterback Caleb Williams or North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye at the top of the draft, they'll have him working under the guidance of a head coach in Eberflus who’s fighting for his future.
Eberflus is 10-24 in his two-year Bears tenure. Chicago went an NFL-worst 3-14 in 2022 before improving to 7-10 and showcasing progress in 2023. The Bears have developed a stronger roster under Poles' watch and believe they're in line for sustained success, but that will ultimately be determined by whoever is leading the team at quarterback, the most important position in sports.
The decision on Eberflus' future shouldn't have centered around whether he deserved to be retained so much as whether he's the right person to develop a young quarterback. If the latter was the priority, he would've been fired. It wasn't the priority, and he's back.
The development of a rookie quarterback would be put at risk because of the uncertainty surrounding the Bears coaching staff. If the team intends to draft a quarterback, it will could also seek to add a veteran like Kirk Cousins, Ryan Tannehill or Jacoby Brissett, just like when the Bears signed Mike Glennon in 2017 and Andy Dalton in 2021. It would then be up to Eberflus to lead the murky quarterback succession plan.
While Eberflus is a good and decent man, anyone in his position will naturally begin to prioritize his own future. McCaskey and Phillips saw that first-hand with Fox and Nagy. The team could offer Eberflus security with a long-term contract extension, but that's an odd gamble given his unproven record.
The Bears haven't learned from their past mistakes, which has been a common theme during McCaskey’s leadership tenure. On Sunday during Chicago's 10th straight loss to rival Green Bay, Packers quarterback Jordan Love surpassed the 4,000-yard passing mark for the season. The Bears have never had a quarterback accomplish that feat.
Regardless of whether it’s Fields, Williams or another coveted arm leading the Bears in 2024, the team has already presented that individual with a challenge at a position that the franchise still can't get quite right.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.