Kurt Warner thinks the Chicago Bears only need to look at the New York Giants and Daniel Jones to see why they shouldn’t stick with Justin Fields as starting quarterback.
Warner, who played for the Giants in 2004, thinks his old team made a mistake signing Jones to a long-term contract last offseason. It’s a mistake the Bears can’t repeat with Fields, especially when they own the top pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the 2024 Super Bowl (h/t Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post), Warner described the dangers of going all in on the wrong quarterback: “When you get to the point we are at in this league with quarterbacks — what you have to pay them and what that means for your organization — you better know that he’s the guy. That, to me, is where teams get in trouble.”
Warner believes the Giants ignored those dangers when they handed Jones a $160 million deal: “The Giants go give $40 million [per year] to Daniel Jones. He hasn’t shown us he’s that guy. We’ve seen glimpses, maybe. The Giants are still behind the 8-ball because he’s still not that guy. Maybe he will be, but he’s not right now — and they paid him.”
There’s a cautionary tale here for the Bears, according to Warner: “When you have three years and don’t take out the doubt, I think you have to move on. You can’t just go pay that guy $50 million in hopes that those glimpses you saw will turn into greatness. It may be unfortunate because some of those guys play too early — they are not ready — but their next contract will be determined by it.”
Hall of Famer Warner concluded the Bears can’t waste the opportunity they have to grab the best QB in this draft class: “You have to put in the element of [the Bears] have the No. 1 pick. It’s not as if they have No. 23 and they are just going to go get the next quarterback.”
Ironically, the Giants should hope the Bears heed Warner’s advice and move on from Fields. If not, it could mean Big Blue’s NFC East rivals the Washington Commanders moving up in the draft to select USC passer Caleb Williams.
Daniel Jones, Justin Fields Similarities are Ominous
As Dunleavy pointed out, there are parallels between the decision facing the Bears over Fields and the call the Giants made about Jones last year. Similarities begin with comparable statistics after three seasons: “Fields is 10-28 with an 82.3 quarterback rating and 40 touchdowns and 30 interceptions through the air plus 2,220 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground.”
Jones went “12-25 with a 84.3 quarterback rating, 45 touchdowns and 29 interceptions through the air plus 1,000 yards and five touchdowns on the ground” before 2022. That’s when head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen took over, prompting a banner campaign from Jones.
The latter improved his accuracy, making the fewest bad throws, 54, and the most on-target completions, 359, of his career up to that point, according to Pro Football Reference.
Jones then capped his stellar regular season by dominating the Minnesota Vikings on the ground and through the air in the playoffs, per B/R Gridiron.
Performances like the one in Minnesota convinced the Giants Jones was worth big bucks. Turnovers and injuries conspired to make the contract look like a mistake, Giants’ edge-rusher with Kayvon Thibodeaux declaring running back Saquon Barkley should’ve been paid instead.
The Bears should be wary about making a similar rush to judgement after Fields had a creditable season in 2023. He threw for a career-best 2,562 yards and tossed a career-low nine interceptions.
Like Jones, Fields also made improvements with his accuracy, per PFF CHI Bears.
Are those improvements enough for the Bears to persist with Fields and trade out of the No. 1 pick? If so, the Giants should keep a close eye on a division rival.
Justin Fields’ Future Could Impact Giants’ Rival
The Commanders need a quarterback, but could find Williams gone when they pick second overall. Unless the Bears are willing to do a trade.
Washington ought to have an advantage in any trade discussions. New offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury coached Williams with the Trojans last season.
Williams reuniting with Kingsbury would surely accelerate the Commanders’ rebuilding efforts. If Williams performed as advertised, Washington would also have a young, franchise QB in the making, while the Giants will likely still be trying to correct their mistake with Jones.
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