Drew Brees weighs in on the Andy Dalton, Justin Fields debate
The Chicago Bears have made a decision on their Week 1 starting quarterback, but not without controversy: head coach Matt Nagy announced that the franchise’s veteran signee, Andy Dalton, will get the nod in the season opener over its quarterback of the future, Justin Fields. Drew Brees, a soon-to-be Hall of Famer, chimed in with his two cents Sunday — perhaps surprisingly, Brees agrees with Nagy and thinks Dalton should get the nod in the regular season opener.
“You have to start Andy Dalton because he’s a veteran,” Brees said on the Sunday Night Football broadcast. “He’s got experience. And if things don’t go well, then it may be a quick pull to put in a guy like Justin Fields to create a spark.”
A native of Kennesaw, Georgia, Fields was a consensus five-star recruit coming out of high school, and was largely considered one of the best — if not the best — quarterbacks in the Class of 2018. He decided to stay in state, committing to the University of Georgia, but did not stay for long.
Fields was forced into a backup role his freshman season, as Jake Fromm took over quarterback duties for Georgia. Fields decided to enter the transfer portal and later announced via Twitter that he was committing to Ohio State.
Fields proceeded to have a stellar career with the Buckeyes, leading them to a 20-2 record and back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances. Last season, he completed 70.2 percent of his passes for 2,100 yards — an average of 262.5 per game due to the shortened season — along with 22 touchdowns and six interceptions. His performance was enough to make him the 11th overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Despite his potential, Brees expressed Sunday that keeping Fields on the bench may provide the Bears with a sparkplug. He thinks Dalton, who played nine seasons with the Bengals and one with the Cowboys, should start under center in the Bears’ Sept. 12 season opener with the Rams.
“But to your point, there’s a lot more than just running around and making splash plays,” Brees said. “The ability to deliver the ball on time, make your way through your progressions, stay in the pocket, and not abort so quickly. Now, listen, as [Fields] learns this offense, he’s going to continue to get better and better and more and more comfortable. But I do think starting Andy Dalton is the right decision.”
Dalton has made three Pro Bowls in his nine-year NFL career since being selected out of TCU with the 35th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. This season is his first with the Chicago Bears.
“And then you see how it goes,” Brees said. “Listen, that puts pressure on Andy. And it also puts Justin in a position where he doesn’t feel the pressure of the preparation of being a starting quarterback yet. He can still learn. He can come off the bench and make the plays if you needed to.”
Fields shines in the preseason
Brees’ take comes as a bit of a surprise following the preseason, a month-long span in which Fields shined on the big stage.
Fields completed 30 of his 49 passing attempts for 276 passing yards, while tossing three touchdowns with no interceptions. He also rushed for 92 rushing yards on the ground.
Dalton, by comparison, completed 13 of 21 passing attempts for 164 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
It remains to be seen how long Dalton will hold the Bears’ starting role. But Nagy has made one thing clear: he won’t be afraid to pull Dalton and put in Fields if it’s in the best interest of the team.
“The only thing that these guys can do is ball out,” Nagy said earlier this preseason. “And I think Justin had a lot of plays and did a great job on those plays that he had. … Ultimately, whatever is best for the Chicago Bears is what we’re going to do.”