The Chicago Bears' unexpected and fortuitous drafting of top quarterback prospect Justin Fields bought head coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace some time. They've most likely avoided the hot seat for at least one more season.
And although there's pressure on the current front office and coaching staff to provide Fields with the tools to develop into a pro-level starter in the near future, Chicago radio host David Haugh doesn't believe that Nagy and Pace will need to reach some sort of benchmark this year.
"What happened when they drafted Justin Fields was, they essentially hit 'reset' on the organization," Haugh told The Zach Gelb Show on Wednesday. "Very seldom do you see NFL teams -- when they hit reset -- give their regime one year to win... Because when you draft a quarterback like that, in fairness, I think that you'd be jeopardizing [potential progress] by switching coaches or switching general managers, which threatens your stability.
"What they're trying to do in Chicago is, establish a groundwork, a framework, a strong foundation. And frankly, they may have been trying that for years. But when you draft a franchise quarterback and you give Ryan Pace a chance to draft another one, then you're telling him that he's got at least one more year. I think probably two, before he has to start worrying about his job status."
The Bears, which finished 8-8 last season, have entered the 2021 season with veteran quarterback Andy Dalton as their starter, Fields as their backup, and journeyman Nick Foles as their third-string option. There's no disputing that Fields is the quarterback of the future, but Chicago is rather pleased with Dalton, who signed a one-year free agent deal back in March.
During the era of the 16-game schedule (1978-2020), the Bears were the only team in the NFL that didn't have a single quarterback throw for 4,000 yards or 30 touchdowns in a season. They've also drafted 31 total signal-callers since winning their lone Super Bowl in 1986.
The Bears will open the 2021 campaign in Los Angeles against the Rams on Sept. 12. According to the William Hill Sportsbook, Chicago currently has the third-best odds (+475) to win the NFC North and the 10th-best odds (+2500) to win the conference.
The entire Bears conversation between Haugh and Gelb can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow The Zach Gelb Show on Twitter @ZachGelb and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.