Former NFL veteran makes compelling case for Bears to keep QB Justin Fields

With the future of Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields up in the air, former tight end Clay Harbor recently revealed a compelling argument for keeping him in the Windy City. Simply put, if the Bears surround him with more weapons, the sky could be the limit. 

"In my opinion, you get a Marvin Harrison Jr., another D.J. Moore-caliber player and like Cole Kmet, you will see improvement, no matter what," Harbor said. 

Harbor pointed out that when Fields threw to his top targets, it resulted in positive outcomes. Conversely, things didn't go so well when he threw in the direction of mostly everyone else. 

Fields' passer rating when targeting wideout D.J. Moore and tight end Cole Kmet was above 110. Meanwhile, Moore and Kmet finished the year with contested catch rates north of 45 percent, with drop rates at two percent or below. In comparison, the results when Fields didn't throw to his two standouts are alarmingly different. For instance, wideout Darnell Mooney had an 18 percent contested catch rate and 14 percent drop rate, while Fields recorded a passer rating of 56 throwing his way. 

It may seem obvious that a QB performs at a higher level when surrounded by better talent, but in Fields' case, context matters. The Bears are on the brink of making a franchise-altering move, one way or the other. However, stats like the ones Harbor highlighted could account for Fields' inconsistencies and make the team's decision even tougher come April. 

"I'm not saying which way to go, but I'm saying there's a correlation there," Harbor said. "For some reason, Justin Fields is throwing the ball at a much higher clip to them than he is the other guys. Is it just because he's throwing the ball better to them? Or is it because they are better weapons?" 

Opinions unsurprisingly vary regarding what the Bears should do at the QB position. Many, like Hall of Famer Kurt Warner, believe that choosing USC's Caleb Williams and trading Fields is a no-brainer. Meanwhile, others, like insider Albert Breer, think there's a way to stand pat at QB while maximizing the team's assets. 

Either way, the clock is ticking.