Former Bears quarterback Jay Cutler says Justin Fields needs something Chicago may not have a lot of: Patience.
Fields, the first-round draft pick who is being hailed as a franchise savior, shouldn’t be the Bears’ Week One starter, in Cutler’s opinion.
“I wouldn’t play the kid to start,” Cutler said on ESPN 1000 in Chicago. “I would let him watch. I think it’s just a tough spot to put someone out there, especially in Chicago. I think Andy is more than serviceable. I think they can win games with Andy and kind of float the ship along until the kid is ready.”
With Bears coach Matt Nagy and General Manager Ryan Pace knowing that their jobs are on the line this year, they may feel like they can’t exercise too much patience: They need to show results in 2021 if they’re going to have jobs in 2022. But if Cutler is right about the time Fields will need to adjust, Dalton starting may actually give the Bears the best chance to win, and give Nagy and Pace the best chance to stay in their jobs long enough to reap the benefits of drafting Fields.