Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace upheld the decision to open the season with veteran Andy Dalton as the starting quarterback.
He sees no reason to rush Justin Fields.
The plan is to have the team’s prized rookie watched and learn from the sideline. And Pace stands by his side.
I just feel like I was in a good position with Andy, he said on Wednesday. “It starts with how we feel about Andy. And were very confident in him and where he is. So we don’t need to pressure Justin. “
The Bears have said Dalton has been their starting quarterback since signing the triple Pro Bowler on a one-year, $ 10 million contract. That didn’t change when they traded nine spots with the New York Giants to draft Fields with the 11th pick overall.
The big move to land the former Ohio State star has given fans hope the Bears could finally have a franchise quarterback. The organization is betting on her after sniffing Mitchell Trubisky, the No. 2 choice in 2017.
Fields showed promise in the preseason with his arm, speed and balance. But the Bears decided it was better to get him backing up for now rather than pushing him into the starting role.
So it’ll be Dalton, the longtime Cincinnati Bengals quarterback, behind center when the Bears visit the Los Angeles Rams on September 12.
The best scenario is to win games with the roster we have, Pace said. We feel we can. We feel like we have become strong in a lot of areas. We feel that we have increased competition in many areas. … We think we can win games with Andy and then grow Justin at the right pace.
That could change if the team struggles.
President George McCaskey chose to stay with Pace and coach Matt Nagy after the Bears were 8-8 in the regular season for the second year in a row. Although they made the playoffs, they did so as a seventh seed in an expanded field. Chicago went on to convincingly lost a wildcard game to New Orleans.
If the Bears struggle early on, the pressure on Pace and Nagy should intensify. The calls to Fields will only intensify as well.
So far, Pace said, Fields has performed exactly as the Bears hoped.
We obviously knew the talent of the arms, the athleticism, the work ethic, all of those things, Pace said. But when you take him out in an NFL environment, he stays calm for the time being. I think his heart rate is still low, he is processing fast. It goes through progressions.
As for Dalton?
Andys our starter and rode with that, Pace said.
The quarterback position wasn’t the only issue he addressed.
The Bears placed linebacker Danny Trevathan (knee) and rookie offensive lineman Teven Jenkins (back) on the injured list on Wednesday.
Trevathan missed two weeks of training camp. He started the last preseason game, but didn’t stay long. Pace said the Bears want to make sure he’s 100% before he’s released.
Jenkins, a second-round pick from Oklahoma state, is recovering from surgery after experiencing leg pain early in camp. He’s also missed his last three college games with a lower back problem, but Pace said the symptoms were different this time around.
The good thing about it? Pace said. As soon as we did it (the operation), these symptoms disappeared. So we feel good there.
Pace confirmed the Bears are in the process of signing Breshad Perriman, adding depth to the receiver.
Perriman had 30 receptions for 505 yards and three touchdowns with the New York Jets last season, his fifth in the NFL. He agreed to a one-year, $ 3 million contract with Detroit in March and was released by the Lions for a lack of production during the preseason.
The Bears have claimed return specialist Nsimba Webster on waivers from San Francisco. The 49ers claimed him back in July from the Rams after playing his first two seasons in Los Angeles.
Chicago also signed defensive backs Artie Burns and Marqui Christian and gave up wide receiver Rodney Adams.
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