(CBS Sports Radio) The Bears' unexpected and fortuitous drafting of top quarterback prospect Justin Fields bought coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace some time, as they've most likely avoided the hot seat for at least one more season.
And although there's pressure on the current regime to provide Fields with the tools to develop into a franchise quarterback, 670 The Score 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 went 8-8 in the regular season in 2020 and have entered training camp with veteran Andy Dalton as their starting quarterback, 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 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 single season. They've also drafted 31 quarterbacks since winning their lone Super Bowl in 1986.
The Bears open their regular season at the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 12. Chicago currently has the third-best odds (+475) to win the NFC North and the 10th-best odds (+2500) to win the conference, according to the William Hill Sportsbook.
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.