Was Justin Fields the Bears' biggest NFL draft mistake of the last 5 years?

When the Chicago Bears selected Justin Fields with the 11th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, it really felt like the team's QB curse was over.

Fields was fresh off a ridiculously exciting career with the Ohio State Buckeyes, and while there were questions about his ability to function as a passer in the NFL, Bears fans were nevertheless excited about another home run swing after the failed first-round pick that was Mitch Trubisky.

Unfortunately, that swing resulted in a strikeout.

Fields went on to start 38 games for the Bears, amassing a 10-28 record. He threw for 6,674 yards with 40 touchdowns and 30 interceptions during his three seasons in Chicago. He was at his best as a runner, especially in 2022, when he ran for 1,143 yards and nearly broke Lamar Jackson's single-season rushing record for a quarterback.

But when the Bears finished the 2023 season in control of the first overall pick in a draft class that included Caleb Williams, Fields' time in Chicago was officially over. General manager Ryan Poles traded him to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a conditional sixth-round pick in last April's NFL Draft.

It was a true pennies-on-the-dollar deal.

John Jones-Imagn Images

Fields went on to have a decent season for the Steelers in 2024. He started six games and flashed enough upside to land a two-year, $40 million deal with the QB-desperate New York Jets in what will be his last chance at proving he can be a franchise quarterback in the NFL.

The Bears, meanwhile, are left with the ashes of another failed first-round quarterback in their history books, one that looks even worse considering who then-GM Ryan Pace could have drafted.

In a recent breakdown of every NFL team's worst first-round pick of the last five years, Fields was the pick for the Bears, in part because of who Chicago passed on: Offensive tackle Rashawn Slater AND Dallas Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons.

"Micah Parsons was also an option here, but left tackle has been a big question mark for the Bears over the last several years," Bleacher Report's Matt Holder wrote. "Braxton Jones is a solid player, but head coach Ben Johnson and starting quarterback Caleb Williams would undoubtedly rather see a two-time Pro Bowler protect the blind side."

Of course, it would've been incredible if the Bears had drafted Slater or Parsons, but hindsight is always 20/20. When Chicago called Fields' name on draft night, Bears Nation erupted in excitement. And, if we're being totally fair, Fields was a victim of organizational failure during his three years with the club. He, too, played behind a horrendous offensive line, two general managers, and two head coaches, the last of which was the incompetent Matt Eberflus.

I don't think we've seen the last of Justin Fields making big plays as an NFL quarterback. In fact, I think he'll be one of the better success stories of the 2025 season.

There's no denying that Justin Fields didn't work out for the Chicago Bears. But calling him the team's worst pick of the last five years is more about the team overall than Fields the player.