The Chicago Bears signed Justin Fields to his rookie contract this week, and they better take advantage of that four-year window.
The Vikings are a tale of why hitting on a quarterback in the NFL Draft can be so important. Rather than drafting a quarterback in 2017, the Vikings signed Kirk Cousins, and have yet to reach their ultimate goal.
Cousins is a solid player, don’t get me wrong. He’s often the victim of underserving clout, and this isn’t an attempt to pile on. Yet, he’ll never be considered a top-10 quarterback, and for good reason. He’s paid like one, and it limits the Vikings from adding elsewhere.
With Justin Fields signing his rookie deal that could tie him to Chicago through 2025 should the Bears activate his fifth-year option, it proves Ryan Pace has a lot of money to work with. It’s the most important window of his career as a general manager.
Chicago Bears: Justin Fields contract opens a competitive window
Quarterback spending won’t be an issue moving forward. Because of this, the Bears can dedicate more money elsewhere, including offensive line and wide receiver.
The Kansas City Chiefs are just one recent example of taking advantage of the rookie quarterback window. With Patrick Mahomes signed to a very affordable deal, Brett Veach was able to load up on talent around him. The Chiefs won a Super Bowl in Mahomes third season, while he was still under said contract.
Pace is no Veach, but it does give the Bears more room for error. Meanwhile, the Vikings are falling behind in the NFC North in part because of Cousins’ contract.
Fields had arguably the best accuracy of any quarterback in the 2021 class, and has a chance to start in the Windy City right away over Andy Dalton.