The Cardinals drafted quarterback Kyler Murray with the first overall pick in 2019 despite using the 10th overall pick against quarterback Josh Rosen a year earlier. The Bears had a chance to do something similar this year.
They drafted Justin Fields with the 11th overall pick in 2021, but ended up with the No. 1 overall pick this year and could have drafted Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, Anthony Richardson or Will Levis.
Instead, they traded the No. 1 pick to the Panthers, choosing to build around Fields with the firm belief that he is their quarterback of the present and future.
Although general manager Ryan Poles has done his due diligence on top quarterback prospects, Fields said the idea of the Bears drafting a quarterback never crossed his mind.
“No, not really,” Fields said Tuesday, via ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. “It’s great for me to get that confidence from the coaching staff. You don’t see it, but we communicate all the time here, we trust each other completely. Just by having them behind me, they know the kind of leader I am for my teammates. They know how awesome I want to be, the work I do. It’s just great to have them behind my back, that’s for sure.