3 reasons why the Chicago Bears should keep Andy Dalton as the starter despite Fields' big NFL debut
Justin Fields performed as expected. The Chicago Bears rookie, who received a thunderous reception from Bears fans at Soldier Field, showed against the Miami Dolphins why he’s the future of the franchise.
After a slow start, Fields led the Bears on a 77-yard drive that ended with him running in an 8-yard touchdown.
"It was awesome," Fields told reporters. "Definitely a dream come true, first NFL touchdown and have my teammates celebrate; it was a nice moment."
The no. 11 pick in this year’s NFL Draft wasn’t done, though. He threw his first NFL touchdown late in the game, and finished going 14/20 for 140 yards and one TD.
Bears fans want to see Fields start
Of course, this debut performance by Fields only heightened the calls in the windy city for the rookie to start Week 1 instead of veteran QB Andy Dalton. Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy was impressed with his rookie quarterback's first game.
"I thought that Justin did a great job of worrying about today, and he played smart football," Bears coach Matt Nagy said. "He made plays, and again like what you just said, it is preseason, and we all understand that there're variables involved in all that. But at the same time, if you go back and look, is he doing what you want him to do, absolutely."
Nagy has not changed his mind on starting Andy Dalton to start the season, though. It may frustrate Bears fans, but there are some key reasons not to promote Fields too soon.
Here are three reasons why Andy Dalton should be the Bears' starting QB in Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season:
#1 It's one game
Didn’t the great William Shakespeare once write: “One game, a starting quarterback no doth make.”
Yes, Justin Fields played well in his first 'NFL preseason', game but that doesn’t mean he’s ready for Week 1 of the regular season. He played against second, third and sometimes fourth-string defensive players, many of whom won’t make the final Dolphins roster.
So for Bears fans, it's time to take a breather and see how he does next week against the Buffalo Bills.
#2 Dalton is being paid to start
The Bears front office signed Andy Dalton this offseason to be the team's starter in 2021. Despite moving up to draft Justin Fields, the team has repeatedly said that Dalton is their starter this season.
Dalton is set to make $10 million this year, and while it's a low salary for a starting quarterback, it's still a significant cap hit. It's fully guaranteed, and the Bears will want to see if the veteran QB has anything left before they bring Fields in.
#3 Injury prevention
In Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season, the Chicago Bears will face the Los Angeles Rams at Soldier Field.
Now do Bears fans or the team's front office want to put Justin Fields out there to face Aaron Donald in his first NFL game? It makes more sense to have Andy Dalton start and see how the offensive line holds up before giving Fields his NFL debut.
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