The buzz surrounding Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Justin Fields has intensified since the beginning of training camp, and he's already won over a long-disgruntled fanbase through his first two preseason games.
But former NFL quarterback and current podcast host Matt McGloin doesn't believe that Fields is, at the moment, better equipped to see regular season action than San Francisco 49ers rookie signal-caller Trey Lance.
"I think Trey Lance has more upside, at least right now, than Justin Fields," McGloin told The DA Show on Monday. "And look, that's not a knock on Fields. I just think right now, Lance would be more prepared to play than Fields would be. I'm not saying he's going to be a better quarterback five, seven, or eight years down the road. But I just think the position Chicago is in, I think it's the right move to go with Andy Dalton [to start the season]...
"If you put Fields in right now and it doesn't go well, you can't yank him, you can't pull him back out... The way I see it right now when I watch them play, when I watched them at their pro days... I can't sit here and tell you who'll be better in two to four years. I just think the position they're in right now, where they stand right now, Lance will have the better opportunity to play right away than Fields would. That's all."
Although Fields and Lance aren't expected to start the regular season on the field, both rookies have turned heads. In two preseason games for Chicago, Fields has completed 23 of 39 passes for 222 yards with two touchdowns and 119 rushing yards, while Lance has completed 13 of 28 passes for 230 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception in two games for the 49ers.
McGloin isn't only focused on players in the pros. He's also dialed-in on his alma mater, Penn State, and their starting quarterback, Sean Clifford.
"Everything falls on Sean Clifford. The way he plays determines if this team is going to win or lose football games," McGloin said. "He has to get stronger, mentally. He seems like the type of player who's tough, it seems like the team responds to him really well. There's no doubt he's a leader, no doubt that he has the capability of being a good quarterback [again in 2021]..."
The entire football conversation between McGloin and DA can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow The DA Show on Twitter @DAonCBS and @CBSSportsRadio, and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.