Jim Miller: Let Caleb Williams Watch and Learn

Former Bears QB Jim Miller thinks it would work better for the Bears to keep Justin Fields and let him play while Caleb Williams watches and learns.

If the Bears go to all the trouble of drafting Caleb Williams, they should then let the rookie sit and watch someone else play in the opinion of one former Bears quarterback.

The quarterback who should play while Williams learns is Justin Fields, says former Bears starting QB Jim Miller.

The broadcaster and former Michigan State Spartans QB thinks no one should rule out keeping Fields as the starter for now while Willims sits and learns.

"They can keep Justin and they can still draft a guy and everybody's like, I know it's like a civil war in Chicago, that's like you can't do that," Miller told CHGO. "But it's already been done. The (San Diego) Chargers had Drew Brees. They drafted Eli Manning but yet swapped Philip Rivers and still had Philip Rivers.

"Philip Rivers sat for two years, believe it or not. Drew Brees played so well he got the franchise tag from the Chargers. Then he hurt his shoulder. Then they moved on to Philip Rivers."

I think the ONLY possible reason to draft Caleb Williams but still keep Justin Fields after the draft/into the summer is if they aren't getting offered anywhere near what they think he's worth, and they believe his value will eventually go up after free agent dominoes settle,…

— Jeremy (@JeromeyR0me) March 4, 2024

The salary cap ramifications of doing this would not be significant this year. It wouldn't be until 2025 but Fields does have his fifth-year option decision due this May.

"We all realize that Justin Fields is a very talented player," Miller told CHGO. "Very talented. And he's played better and things will get better but he needs more polish. He needs to play. I wouldn't put the fifth-year option on him. I'd let him play.

"I hope he plays so well he earns the franchise tag like Drew Brees."

The benefit of something like this would be the way the Green Bay Packers have developed their last two starting quarterbacks. It's basically how Patrick Mahomes developed.

However, it's an entirely uncommon situation and when the Packers and Chiefs did this it wasn't with the No. 1 overall pick.

The last No. 1 overall pick at quarterback who didn't start immediately was Baker Mayfield with Cleveland in 2018. However, he did get in to start by Week 4.

Bryce Young, Trevor Lawrence, Joe Burrow and Kyler Murray all started since Mayfield sat. It seemed to be more acceptable for QBs to sit after being drafted No. 1 when Mayfield was drafted. The year before him, Jared Goff didn't start until Week 11 for the Rams. Even then, the previous four first picks all started right away—Jameis Winston, Andrew Luck, Sam Bradford, Matthew Stafford.

Justin Fields is a consolation prize, an after thought, to every other team in the NFL. NOBODY WANTS HIM! Yet, the Fields stans are still going strong with their insane "let's keep Fields and build around him" narrative. https://t.co/bwSQqFeeaQ

— Joe M (@CalebToBears) March 4, 2024

The only QB drafted first overall this century who went without playing as a rookie was Carson Palmer (2003). He began starting in 2004.

Fields wasn't a first pick overall but began starting in Week 3.

The idea might seem far-fetched but with the market for Fields' services reportedly at a small number of teams, the Bears could face almost no trade market for their current starter. In that case, they very well could be better off keeping him as a bridge QB and using him like they did Mike Glennon with Mitchell Trubisky or Andy Dalton with Fields himself.

Draft a quarterback AND keep Fields?@JimMiller_NFL says that should still be on the table: ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/HCBmCLfp5d

— CHGO Bears (@CHGO_Bears) March 4, 2024

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven