Chicago Bears Q&A: How many layers are there to the QB decision? Where has Darnell Mooney gone? What was with all the screen passes?

The Chicago Bears entered their bye week with good vibes after a final-minute drive for the winning field goal in Monday’s 12-10 road victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

But with five games remaining this season, a decision looms regarding quarterback Justin Fields’ future with the team and how to use what likely will be two high draft picks. Brad Biggs kicks off his weekly Bears mailbag with more on the QB decision.

Do you think the Bears can win with Justin Fields? I seesaw on this constantly. He clearly lacks the clock in his head to know when to hold the ball and when to get rid of it. But his athleticism is so outstanding that, with a great offensive line and another weapon at receiver, the Bears could keep their top picks and say, “This is our guy. He’s a top four or five athlete at the position, he has a cannon and we’re going to make sure he gets that extra second that he requires to process and then throw.” DJ Moore, Cole Kmet, Darnell Mooney plus Marvin Harrison Jr. would be formidable if he has world-class protection. — Josh G., Deerfield

That would be a formidable group to throw to with the Bears’ current protection. Let’s recall that the offensive lineman most are talking about replacing with a first-round pick is left tackle Braxton Jones. Centers, as you know, are rarely drafted in Round 1. Excellent centers can be discovered in the third and fourth rounds. When Jones has played this season, he has done a pretty good job. Pro Bowl level? Probably not. But he has been solid — it’s not like you watch the Bears play and say the left tackle is undercutting the quarterback. As I detail in a later answer, the Bears are having a difficult time getting the ball to Mooney as it is.

Fields was dealt a difficult hand when the Bears drafted him in 2021 and didn’t have a lot to surround him. You can make a valid case he was set up to fail. That’s the situation so many highly drafted quarterbacks walk into. But what happened in that rookie season and in 2022 is behind us now. It’s about evaluating where Fields stands now, projecting ahead and determining if he’s the long-term starter.

The draft options are tantalizing if the Bears decide they’re set at quarterback with Fields. Draft two studs. Draft one stud and trade down for a load of picks. Trade the first pick for a bigger load of picks and players and draft a stud with the second pick. I could write a 10,000-word mailbag on all the dreamy possibilities. The Bears also could go in a ton of directions if they draft a quarterback. Let’s see how the final five games play out to get a better feel for what their decision will be.

Can the Bears win with Fields? When everything has been right, they’ve been competitive offensively. But the offense has been inconsistent and the passing game is choppy most weeks.

How many layers are there to the 2024 starting QB question? Is it just if Justin Fields is or isn’t the starter? Or if the Bears get the No. 1 overall pick? What if the Bears get the second or third pick and only like one (QB) or both options they like are gone? Rookie contract vs. fifth-year option? Coach determines if he likes Fields or a rookie QB? — @jtbarczak

There are a lot of layers to this and much to consider, but to me it comes down to a simple question: Do you believe Fields can consistently lead you to success in the playoffs? Not make the playoffs but win in the playoffs. From my perspective, the Bears have to be all in on Fields or out. All in would mean being prepared to sign him to a second contract after this season. Out would mean doing whatever necessary to land the quarterback they believe is the best in the 2024 draft class.

It looks like the Carolina Panthers will be delivering the No. 1 or, at worst, No. 2 pick to the Bears. I’ve been pretty clear, in this space and elsewhere, how I see this playing out. But there are five games remaining — more time to evaluate — and the Bears will make a decision based on Fields’ entire body of work through three seasons. I just don’t see how a struggling franchise can be at or very near the top of the draft for two consecutive seasons and not pick a quarterback.

What happened to Darnell Mooney? — @tg96911

The Bears have been unable to get their second option at wide receiver going this season. It’s not like anyone has replaced Mooney. After targets for No. 1 wide receiver DJ Moore and tight end Cole Kmet, there simply haven’t been many balls to go around. Mooney has been targeted more than four times in only three games:

• Week 1 vs. Green Bay Packers: 7 targets, 4 catches, 53 yards, 1 TD
• Week 7 vs. Las Vegas Raiders: 5 targets, 4 catches, 32 yards
• Week 9 at New Orleans Saints: 6 targets, 5 catches, 82 yards

Rookie Tyler Scott isn’t taking opportunities from Mooney. He has been targeted more than twice in only four games (three games with three targets and a season-high four targets versus the Minnesota Vikings in Week 6). It’s worth noting two of the games in which Mooney was targeted more than four times came when rookie Tyson Bagent was starting at quarterback.

The upshot is with opponents focusing coverage on Moore, the Bears have struggled to consistently connect with another wide receiver who should, in theory, have advantageous matchups. I don’t think it’s anything Mooney is failing to do. He has 42 targets (3.5 per game) for the season with 25 receptions for 351 yards (14 per reception) and the one touchdown against the Packers. It hasn’t added up to ideal opportunities as he prepares for free agency.

Is Ryan Poles secretly upset that the Bears won Monday night, dropping them in the draft order? — @mate01701

The Bears did not drop in the draft order with their win Monday night in Minnesota. They entered the week sitting at No. 4 and exited at No. 4 with a 4-8 record. They are one of seven four-win teams and based on the current strength-of-schedule tiebreaker would have the fourth pick. With six weeks remaining (five games for the Bears), a lot can shift. If they get on a mini-heater, all of a sudden that draft pick could be outside the top 10.

I seriously doubt many people inside U.S. Bank Stadium on Monday were happier with the outcome than Poles. As I have written repeatedly, the value of the Bears’ young roster beginning to play better and produce positive results is far more important to Poles right now than whether the team is picking No. 4 or No. 11. They have young players across the depth chart on both sides of the ball who were not playing consistent winning football the first two months of the season. They need those guys to turn the corner and play consistently so they feel like there is legitimate momentum heading into 2024 — not the fake momentum so many wrapped their arms around last offseason.

Anyone who doesn’t believe Poles wants to see the Bears win as many games as possible is deluded. He has to show his bosses — Chairman George McCaskey and President/CEO Kevin Warren — that progress is being made. And he needs those working for him to see results from their labor.

What percentage of Luke Getsy’s screen-heavy game plan on Monday night was a result of playing chess and (over)reacting to the Vikings’ strong pass rush or a telling lack of trust in Justin Fields’ ability to push the ball downfield against them or anybody? — @iammikewhite

As is often the case, analysis of the Bears’ offensive game plan Monday night took on a life of its own without the nuance required to really understand what was going on. It’s too bad Getsy doesn’t have his regular media session this week, with the team on its bye, because I’d be interested to know how many of the screens and throws at the line of scrimmage were primary calls or run-pass options.

After rewatching the game, my interpretation is a lot of these plays were RPOs, meaning Fields had the opportunity to run, hand the ball off or throw a screen. When he was checking to screens, it was a simple presnap numbers game. The Vikings were overloading the defensive line throughout the game, and whether they were coming with pressure or dropping out, it didn’t matter. That’s a presnap count and with seven in the box on a lot of occasions, there was no place to run.

Throwing the ball on the perimeter is a quick and easy answer to pressure, and the Bears were totally overmatched by Minnesota’s pressure in the first meeting this season. Fields and the offense were paralyzed into the third quarter of that game before he was injured. Throwing screens doesn’t require reading the defense. Count the numbers before the snap and let it rip. On some of the screens that didn’t work, it was a combination of lack of execution by the Bears and a good play by the Vikings on the edge because the numbers were there for the offense.

I’m not sure what folks unhappy with Getsy’s approach wanted. Have Fields stand in the pocket like he did in the first meeting? What would their reaction have been if the Bears struggled with that like they did at Soldier Field? Dunk on Getsy for running back the same game plan? I know it’s often coordinator hunting season around Lake Forest, but sometimes it’s not all on the guy who designs the plan and calls the plays.

There’s obviously a lot of talk right now about what the Bears should do at quarterback. I’m wondering, why not take a multipronged approach? I think it was former GM Ryan Pace who once said, “We need to take as many swings at the quarterback position as possible until we get it right.” He obviously didn’t do that, but that’s beside the point. I know this is likely never going to happen, but just for discussion purposes, why wouldn’t the Bears keep Justin Fields, draft a quarterback with their top overall pick and, since they’ll likely have two top picks, also draft a second first-round quarterback? In my mind, it accomplishes that “as many swings as it takes” approach. Now you’ve got three potential franchise quarterbacks and you can see which one shakes out. It would also eliminate the endless debates over which franchise QB a team should take in Round 1 since you can take multiple and work to figure out which one might eventually develop. Is there any history in the league of a team doing something like that whether at QB or another position? The Chargers with Drew Brees and Philip Rivers come to mind. Any others? — Brandon H., Grandville, Mich.

This is a non-starter for me just like the questions I’ve gotten that suggest the Bears draft one quarterback and have him compete with Fields for the job or trade Fields and draft two quarterbacks and let them battle it out. If the Bears draft a quarterback, they’re doing so because they don’t believe Fields is the guy for them. If Fields isn’t the guy for them, there’s no reason to keep him around. Trade him and get what you can — probably a Day 2 pick.

Drafting two quarterbacks doesn’t make sense to me. That would create a complete circus at Halas Hall. If the Bears are going to replace Fields, they need to identify one quarterback who is their guy, do whatever required to acquire that player and then build the entire operation around him. It’s hard enough to develop one quarterback prospect. Multiply that if you want to try to develop two.

The Chargers scenario was a little different because Brees was a second-round pick in 2001 before the team made a draft-day trade for No. 4 pick Rivers three years later. The Washington Redskins doubled down on quarterbacks in 2012 when they drafted Robert Griffin III at No. 2 in the first round and came back in Round 4 and chose Kirk Cousins. That’s a totally different ballgame from taking two quarterbacks in Round 1.

I’m curious about Doug Kramer. He spent his entire rookie year and a chunk of this season on injured reserve. Then the Bears waived him a few weeks back to make room for Braxton Jones. Arizona picked him up, released him and now the Bears have brought him back to the practice squad. Lots of late-round picks don’t pan out, but the Bears obviously like him. What’s his realistic potential going forward? — Derek B.

It probably would require some injuries to the interior of the offensive line for Kramer to get on the field down the stretch unless the team decides it wants to throw him in and give him a shot. The Bears felt like Kramer made nice progress during the offseason and looked solid in training camp and the preseason, but he doesn’t have any real game action at this point. Given that, a best-case scenario for Kramer is probably to compete with at least one and potentially two players (one would be a draft pick) for a roster spot in 2024.

Why was Roschon Johnson playing ahead of Khalil Herbert? — @matanaya

Herbert started Monday’s game with Johnson coming in on third down and then getting more work, and in the second half it was almost exclusively the Johnson show. Johnson wound up with a season-high 52 snaps while Herbert had 15. I don’t think Herbert has looked right yet since returning two games ago from a high ankle sprain. Clearly the Bears wanted Johnson on the field in third-down situations and his role expanded from there.

The bye week probably comes at a good time for Herbert. Hopefully he’s back to 100% soon and then the Bears can have a more equipped backfield. D’Onta Foreman also has been dinged up, and the extra time to rest should benefit him.

This front office obviously, like most, does not know how to grade a quarterback. Otherwise, they would have taken C.J. Stroud. At least if I remember correctly, Jerry Angelo admitted it was a crapshoot. Since the Bears haven’t nabbed a franchise quarterback in what will be 85 years (the Depression was still going on) by the time the draft rolls around, why not just sign a free agent? It’s awesome to have a franchise quarterback, but if you add Marvin Harrison Jr. and another Hall of Fame-type offensive lineman, you’ll attract a top free-agent quarterback. Derek Carr last year or Tom Brady when he signed with Tampa Bay are good examples. A blockbuster for a still-in-prime Kirk Cousins like the Vikings did five years ago. Kyler Murray might be available. It seems like there are more available at that position, and what’s the difference if you use the money on a sure thing vs. signing Justin Fields to a giant extension? There is always the risk (Aaron Rodgers ran out of gas though in 2022) that the QB is too far downhill. — Jeff L., Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

There’s a lot going on here. It will be interesting when the season ends to hear what Ryan Poles has to say about the Bears’ evaluation of Stroud. I don’t think the Bears were alone if they had some skepticism about his ability to transform a franchise with a bad roster. They were alone at the top of the draft and had the opportunity to select Stroud before trading the No. 1 pick.

It’s true there has been considerable movement by veteran quarterbacks over the last couple of years, but other than Brady — who stands alone for his achievements — none of them is viewed as anything other than a Band-Aid. Carr? Get real. The New Orleans Saints are firmly in no man’s land with him at quarterback. Evaluating the possibility of a veteran with ample experience would make sense if the Bears were picking in the middle or end of Round 1. It might make sense if this projected to be a bad year to draft a quarterback. That’s not the case.

They likely will be in position to choose the first or second quarterback in the draft, and when you’ve been as inconsistent on offense as the Bears have been, you can’t pass on a quarterback when you’re at the top of the draft again and risk missing on the 2024 version of Stroud. I understand the plethora of possibilities — and some are worth kicking around — but too many people are spending far too much time overthinking this.

Ryan Poles will have a world of possibilities this offseason. He can take a quarterback with his first pick and still have many, many options. I’d also point out I’m not sure anyone sees a future Hall of Fame offensive tackle in the next draft. Good prospects? You bet. I’m not sure there is a Joe Thomas in this class, though.

Is the Bears’ draft strategy leaning toward a left tackle or has Braxton Jones’ performance eliminated that need? — @stephenclapp1

Jones has played pretty well since returning from a neck injury to start the last four games. This is an ongoing evaluation and a scenario in which the Bears have to do a handful of things.

• Make an honest evaluation of where Jones is at the end of his second season and, as important, where they believe he will be in 2024 and 2025.
• Evaluate options they could consider with a first-round draft pick, a list that begins with Penn State’s Olu Fashanu and Notre Dame’s Joe Alt.
• Evaluate the other draft options — think wide receiver and other positions.
• Compare the grades on the potential left tackles versus the other players.

What you have is sort of a sliding scale with the most important piece of the puzzle being how the team feels about Jones. I could see it going either direction. The better Jones plays in the final five games, the better his chances of being the Week 1 starter next season.

What are your thoughts about bringing in a co-head coach and a new offensive coordinator? Make Matt Eberflus co-head coach and defensive coordinator? Defense is progressing nicely but I don’t think he has all the tools for running a team. Would Flus do it? — @dkeene2016

What do you think? Co-head coach never would fly. The Bears will be all in with Eberflus atop the coaching staff or they will be seeking a new head coach. They also wouldn’t consider making Eberflus defensive coordinator and hiring a new head coach over him. Whoever is head coach in 2024 will make a decision on the offensive coordinator.

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