The Chicago Bears have been searching for a star quarterback for decades, and this franchise has never been able to find the right guy. When the Bears selected Justin Fields just a few years ago, fans of the Bears believed that he was going to be the right guy.
Things have not gone as well as expected for Fields so far in his NFL career, but there was plenty of hope surrounding him entering the 2023 season. Fields was actually receiving a ton of attention in the NFL MVP race heading into this year despite having won just five games in his career.
His win total still sits at five wins after two games in 2023, and it looks as if he has taken a step back on offense. Fields has thrown for just 427 yards and two touchdowns through two games, and he has also been sacked ten times.
Last season, Fields was at least able to rack up some yards on the ground, but he hasn’t been able to get that done this season. Fields has been hesitant to run as he wants to prove that he can throw the football, but it has just turned into an even bigger mess.
Chicago has been desperate to find a star quarterback, and it’s now looking more clear than ever that Fields is not the right guy.
Check out the full 2023/24 NFL season odds over on Bookmaker
NFC North Was Wide Open
The fact that Fields isn’t ready to take the next step for the Bears is extra disappointing this season, as the NFC North Division appeared to be wide open. Detroit was the betting favorite to win the NFC North, but the Bears had odds set at +380 before the season began.
That is no longer the case for the Bears, as those odds are now being offered at +1400 for Chicago to be crowned in the NFC North Division. This does mean that there is tons of value in betting on the Bears to win the NFC North Division, but that doesn’t feel like a smart wager to make at all.
Detroit remains the betting favorite at -105 to win the NFC North this season, but the Green Bay Packers are now clearly in the mix as well. Green Bay now has odds set at +180 to win another division title, and they are playing with a quarterback who entered the year with just one career NFL start.
A Look Ahead
The Bears are going to have to go in a different direction on offense, and you should expect them to draft a quarterback next April. The good news for Chicago is that there are some great options available, and the Bears can restart things in a hurry.
USC quarterback Caleb Williams is the top prize heading into the 2024 NFL Draft, and he is also listed at +350 to win the Heisman Trophy. Even if Williams isn’t able to win the prestigious award, you can expect to see several teams trying to make a run at him.
Quinn Ewers is next on the list to win the Heisman Trophy at +500, and Michael Penix Jr. is also way up there at +600. Both Ewers and Penix have proven that they have the talent to play at the next level and could potentially be better than Fields.
The Bears will not only have their own top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but they also get the pick of the Carolina Panthers. Carolina is another team that is going to struggle in a big way, and that could give the Bears two early picks in the 2024 NFL Draft.
