Quarterback competition was made public by Justin Fields’ critique of the Chicago Bears’ “Culture”.

The executive staff of the Chicago Bears handled their decision to bench quarterback Justin Fields in favor of incoming first-round pick Caleb Williams with the utmost tact. Ultimately, Fields was moved by the franchise to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a meager conditional sixth-round draft pick the following year. If something unforeseen happens to the Steelers’ recently acquired quarterback Russell Wilson and Fields plays 51% of the offensive snaps this upcoming season, that might change to a fourth-round pick.

The Bears were widely portrayed as “doing right by Justin” by sending him to a team of his choosing, where he would have an opportunity to succeed, despite the poor return. They even took a hit on the possible trade return. However, the reality was that most teams with quarterback requirements had already selected their quarterbacks through free agency by the time Chicago decided to make a deal.

Beneath it all, maybe, was the harsh fact that Fields had been nothing more than a bust during his first three seasons in the NFL. Unless it was as a low-risk backup, teams just didn’t want to take on the project of reconstructing or repurposing Fields.

Is the Culture of the Chicago Bears Toxic for Justin Fields?

Why, therefore, had the multi-talented former number one draft pick been unable to produce much more than flashes of genius? Fields has taken responsibility for his actions as well as the collective actions of the Bears coaching staff. Fields seems to sincerely believe that the Bears are to blame based on his recent comments.

Fields recently told reporters, “Me being in two different places now, I realize you don’t get this culture everywhere.” “This has been the culture in Chicago for a very long time, but I think they’re kind of altering the narrative now. You are able to observe how we approach the situation every single day. that’s something that Coach [Mike Tomlin] constantly reminds us of, so I believe that reminding men of that daily helps to keep them alert. Guys are prepared to compete every single day. Even though that shot was fired indirectly, it was still fired.

Is Fields’ Culture Too Toxic for Chicago Bears?

However, a report published by Tyler Dunne in his Go Long Substack just last month blamed Fields for a quarterback room that was referred to as “f*****g toxic as hell,” citing unnamed sources. “The quarterbacks got into a few arguments,” Dunne stated in his article. According to one account, Foles turned to face Fields when he noticed the rookie quarterback wasn’t really trying to learn anything from him while they were in the quarterback room. He had his head lowered. Foles had had enough of attempting to be a mentor at that time. The two were unable to tolerate one another.

Dunne said, “One insider with access to the Bears locker room claims the conventional wisdom that Fields was a capable leader is exaggerated, characterizing the quarterback as ‘a surface level person’ who never really forged bonds with teammates. He referred to rumors that Fields’ teammates adore him as “bull****,” saying that the quarterback lacked emotional intelligence for someone who had played quarterback for such a long time and exuded an undeserving aura. So perhaps Fields wasn’t quite the choir boy/team guy the media made him out to be.

Everyone has moved on.

However, based on his own encounters with Bears society, he may also have a point.

During his three years there, Fields played for two head coaches, two general managers, and various offensive schemes. He also had to cope with coaching that might have gone too far in “overcorrection,” where his skills would have been overlooked in favor of fixing his glaring shortcomings. He was hesitant and unclear of his identity at times. In any event, it seemed as though we never really got to witness Justin Fields as he truly was on the field. And Chicago felt that they simply had to move on. It’s Caleb in charge now.

Fields will have his opportunity to flourish in a different atmosphere that will be more advantageous to him—at least temporarily, as the Steelers have decided not to pick up his fifth-year option. In 2025, Fields, who is 26 years old, will have to conduct another culture search as a free agent.