Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields has a lot of support when it comes to keeping his starting gig with the Bears, even as the “Trade Fields” contingent continues to voice its support of moving on from the 24-year-old.
One of the most vocal pro-Fields supporters has been Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons, who’s already publicly stated on a few occasions that Chicago can and should build around the 3-year veteran.
Micah Parsons Bullish on Fields
In a recent edition of his The Edge With Micah Parsons podcast, the defensive star affirmed his belief that the Bears, with Fields leading the offense, have a very bright immediate future and should be a powerhouse playoff team as soon as next season.
“The Bears is really going to be a very good team, a legitimate playoff team next year,” Parsons stated. “They can win out in the NFC North. I mean, I think this team can legitimately be a top playoff team as of next year with Fields. I think Justin Fields is coming along in a lot of ways…They’ll be transitioning, especially going into next year with the draft cap they have and getting more players and they still have a lot of money in free agency. They’re gonna keep adding talent, keep getting better, and they’re going to be a legitimate playoff team.”
Chicago Bears: Loaded with Capital
Micah may be on to something, at least when it comes to the realities on paper. The numbers all point to the Bears being blessed with abundance headed into this offseason.
In terms of draft capital, the team is poised to land the no. 1 overall pick in the coming NFL Draft, due to their trade last season with the Carolina Panthers. And, as things currently stand, they would also have the 8th overall pick via their own first round selection. According to Tankathon.com’s Draft Power Rankings, the Bears rank third in the NFL when it comes to the strength of their draft capital, placing behind only the Arizona Cardinals and Washington Commanders.
Aside from their wealth in draft picks, the team will be well-set in terms of spendable revenue as well, as Parsons pointed out. Overthecap.com projects that the team will have almost $64 million in cap space for the coming season, the seventh-most in the NFL. That number could grow larger with a few more very doable tweaks made to the roster. This will give the Bears tremendous flexibility when it comes to filling holes via free agency that they couldn’t fill via the draft.
All in all, the future looks bright in Chicago, even with all the uncertainty surrounding the futures of head coach Matt Eberflus and starting quarterback Justin Fields.
Bears Players Support Fields
From all indications, though, the Bears players, themselves, have no degree of uncertainty when it comes to whether their team should hold on to Fields and keep building around him.
“I don’t know,” Bears wide receiver DJ Moore told Cleveland media a couple weeks back when asked why Fields’ future was in doubt in Chicago. “Ya’ll asked me that last week. I’m still like, ‘Bruh, where are ya’ll seeing this? What makes him not the franchise quarterback for the Chicago Bears right now?’
“I get ya’ll got everybody coming out. What, there’s like two of them? I don’t think [top-rated quarterback prospects in the 2024 draft, Caleb Williams and Drake Maye] are better than Justin.”
“Justin is the quarterback of the future,” wide receiver Darnell Mooney stated matter-of-factly, even after the team’s frustrating 20-17 loss to the Cleveland Browns. “He’s the franchise quarterback. He’s been balling. I don’t understand why it’s anymore questions. Obviously, we have the [projected No. 1 pick] because of Carolina right now, but Justin is a dog. If he’s not here, he’ll be somewhere else balling. I’m not the guy that makes those decisions, but Justin is dog. Wherever he may be, if it’s not here, he’s still going to ball.”