Bears Announce Justin Fields Is New Starting QB Going Forward

Bears HC Matt Nagy announced on Wednesday that first-round QB Justin Fields will be the starting quarterback going forward, per Adam Jahns. 

This comes moments after he said veteran QB Andy Dalton would be a full participant in practice.

Nagy had up until now maintained that a healthy Dalton would be the starting quarterback. But he finally acknowledged what the whole football world knew was inevitable. 

“I’ve always said from the beginning … is that we’ll know. He’s done everything to show us that he’s ready for this opportunity,” Nagy said via Kevin Fishbain.

Fields, 22, was selected in the first round of this year’s draft by the Bears. Chicago traded up with the Giants to get Fields and parted with their 2022 first-round pick in the process.

Fields signed a four-year rookie deal worth $18,871,956 with a signing bonus of $11,085,059. The Bears will have a fifth-year option to pick up on him in 2024. 

In 2021, Fields has appeared in four games for the Bears and completed 48.1 percent of his passes for 347 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. He has also rushed for 55 yards and a touchdown.