Something Weird Just Surfaced On Chicago Bears’ QB Situation
Justin Fields has five games left to make any final arguments about his job security. Nobody knows what the Chicago Bears are thinking with the quarterback situation. Some believe Fields has done enough to justify more time. What he needs is a better coaching staff. Others believe this is who Fields is. He’s a phenomenal athlete capable of great flashes but will never find the necessary consistency to be a franchise quarterback. It is why if the Bears end up with a top-2 pick in the 2024 draft, they’re expected to select a replacement.
Almost everybody believes that decision will come down to one of two options: USC’s Caleb Williams or North Carolina’s Drake Maye. Both have been excellent for the last two years and boast skillsets that typically thrive at the NFL level. However, this is where it gets interesting. Anybody who follows the Bears knows Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. He is probably the most well-connected insider on the beat. So when he writes things, it is understood he probably has good information feeding him. That is why it was unexpected to see him write a new column on a 2024 QB prospect. Only it wasn’t Williams or Maye.
It was J.J. McCarthy of Michigan.
The Bears have been doing their homework on college quarterbacks in the event they elect to move on from Justin Fields. Owning the Carolina Panthers’ first-round pick — which, based on current standings, would be No. 1 — as well as their own, currently No. 4, puts general manager Ryan Poles in a position to control the direction of the QB class.
Imagine if a local kid — McCarthy was a five-star recruit at Nazareth before finishing his high school career at IMG Academy in Florida during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 — was drafted to be the savior for the local franchise.
It’s possible Bears fans who were glued to Saturday’s game to watch Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (118 yards, one touchdown) — and dream about what he could accomplish at Soldier Field — were watching the team’s future quarterback.
The Chicago Bears have done their homework.
It’s not a secret they’ve been studying the incoming QB class religiously. Unlike several people, they aren’t just focused on the gaudy stats. They’re looking at how guys operate in the pocket, how they lead on the sideline, handle crunch time, and overcome mistakes. Biggs delivered two quotes from NFL evaluators that seemed prescient concerning the Bears.
“The thing I liked, he knew there were a ton of scouts there and he threw it eight times,” he said. “Yet after the game, J.J. was celebrating. He didn’t give a (hoot). You saw him running all over. Tells me loud and clear he is a team guy.”
“Yes,” said a general manager who has seen McCarthy play this season. “Because he’s running a more pro-style attack. He is in a different offense than all these other guys getting all of the stats.”
Those are telling notes.
McCarthy is a team-first guy. He’s focused on winning, not stats. Also, he might be better prepared for the NFL than any other QB in the class. Go back to what Poles and other Chicago Bears scouts said about Tyson Bagent when they recruited him as an undrafted rookie. They mentioned many of the same things. Experience in a pro-style system. Great teammate. A winner. McCarthy is all of those things. He may not throw the ball a lot, but he’s incredibly efficient and makes the big plays when he has to.
Last but not least is the local history. We already know Poles loves adding players who come from the Chicago area. Doug Kramer, Jack Sanborn, T.J. Edwards, and Robert Tonyan were all added over the past two years. He also made sure to sign Cole Kmet to an extension.
Poles takes this seriously.
“There’s something to it for me. I think when you have pride of your local team that you grew up watching, you knew what this club meant to the city and you saw some good times with some good players, I think you’re a little bit more motivated to perform at a high level and lead, because you’ve seen guys do it at a high level before you. So I always like that aspect. I think it just means a little bit more.”
With such thinking, wouldn’t it make sense to put that kind of player in the most important position on the roster? La Grange Park is 30 minutes from downtown Chicago. McCarthy lived in the shadow of this organization his entire life. A former Bears QB (Jim Harbaugh) has mentored him for years in college. Everything fits. Maybe this is reading too much into it, but it feels like Biggs is sending a message about what is to come.