With Bears schedule leaked, should Justin Fields start Week 1 or sit behind Andy Dalton?

Although it’s unknown if he will be the starter, Justin Fields the Chicago Bears will take on Matthew Stafford in Sunday Night Football 

Although the Chicago Bears traded up to grab Ohio State superstar Justin Fields, that doesn’t mean he’ll be the starter in Week 1. The pick was made for the future of the organization rather than the present, at least that’s the plan Bears head coach Matt Nagy has outlined since the draft.

All that said, if Fields looks to be the better player during training camp over incumbent Andy Dalton, Nagy should not hesitate to name him the starter against the Los Angeles Rams for Sunday Night Football. Chicago will travel out west to SoFi Stadium to take on the new and improved Matthew Stafford-led franchise.

This might be a game more important for Stafford than it is for anyone else in Los Angeles.

Will Justin Fields be the Week 1 starter for the Bears over Andy Dalton?

The former Buckeye set the Big Ten on fire during his first season in Columbus when he was the Heisman runner-up and led Ohio State to the College Football Playoff. Keep in mind he isn’t a one-year wonder that just happened to be drafted in the first round. Fields threw for 3,273 yards and 41 touchdowns in 2019 before following that up with 2,100 yards and 22 touchdowns in a shortened 2020 season due to COVID-19 that saw Ohio State lose to Alabama in the National Championship Game.

There will be a push from the fans for Fields to be the Week 1 starter. He first will have to prove in training camp and the preseason that he’s ready for the NFL level and up to NFL speed.

If he is the better player, Fields will get the start. Time will tell if Dalton is just a mentor or he’ll be the starter all season while Fields learns from the bench.