Many in the media have been critical of Bears coach Matt Nagy, who, despite the emergence of first-round rookie Justin Fields, hasn’t wavered in his decision to start Andy Dalton Week 1 against the Rams. The 33-year-old offers plenty of experience (142 NFL starts), but after an uneven season with the Cowboys in 2020, should Dalton really be the one standing in Fields’ way? Former ESPN personality Mike Golic shared his thoughts on the Bears’ quarterback conundrum during his recent appearance on STUpodity (hosted by Jon “Stugotz” Weiner of The Dan Le Batard Show), defending Nagy’s decision to stick with the veteran.
“Absolutely. I’ve said since Day 1 that Andy Dalton should be the starter,” expressed the 58-year-old of Mike & Mike fame. “Can Justin Fields make flashier plays than Andy Dalton? Yes. Is he going to make more mistakes than Andy Dalton? Yes.”
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Fields, who finished third in Heisman Trophy voting during his breakout 2019, impressed in his preseason debut against the Dolphins two weeks ago (14-of-20 for 142 passing yards and one touchdown with five carries for 33 yards and a rushing score) before coming back to earth in Saturday’s loss to Buffalo (9-of-19 for 80 passing yards, 46 yards on four rushing attempts). Still, Fields’ dual-threat presence and ability to extend plays with his feet makes him an ideal stylistic fit for today’s NFL. However, Golic feels the Bears, who reached the playoffs as a Wild-Card team in 2020, would be doing their veterans a disservice by putting their offense in the hands of a raw 22-year-old, no matter how much he looks the part.
“I know Justin Fields has played well. I get it. But he’s also going to make rookie mistakes,” said Golic, a former player himself for the Oilers, Eagles and Dolphins. “You know which people will just bury their head if all of a sudden you’re starting a rookie quarterback? The other 52 guys in the locker room. Because that’s another year going by for all of them as well. Name me the last rookie quarterback that won more than they lost.”
The fourth quarterback selected in this year’s draft behind Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson and Trey Lance, Fields appears plenty confident in himself, expressing to reporters after his preseason opener that the speed of the game was actually slower than he expected. The Ohio State alum would eat those words a week later, getting his comeuppance in the form of a blistering hit from Bills linebacker Andre Smith.
“I know people are losing their minds to play Justin Fields,” said Golic, likely referring to the avalanche of boos Andy Dalton received from fans at Solider Field last weekend. “The narrative I hear all the time, that I want to debunk right now, is ‘We need to get past the guy has to sit and learn.’ I don’t give a s--- about that. I’m not saying Justin Fields shouldn’t play to sit and learn. I’m not saying Trey Lance should sit and learn before he plays. I’m not saying any of that. What I’m saying is, those two teams, especially because of their defense, are teams that can contend for playoff spots.”
Many quarterbacks, including future Hall-of-Famers Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes, have benefited from “red-shirt” years, though that could be a tough sell for Bears fans eager to see Fields in action, especially if Dalton struggles out of the gate.
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