Commentary: Bears dodged a bullet with Bryce Young |
Finding a Franchise quarterback is crucial for every franchise, but sometimes, it is a lot easier said than done. That especially remains true for the Chicago Bears, who have had about as hard of a time finding a franchise quarterback as any team in the league.
You could make the case that the last time this team had a player capable of being a franchise guy, Jay Cutler was in charge and even wasn't able to get this team to the Promised Land. Since then, the Bears have tried guys like Mitch Trubisky, Justin Fields, and now Caleb Williams and none of them have been able to do what the Bears hoped. The jury is still out on Williams, as he only has two games under his belt, but when you look at Trubisky and Fields and realize the Bears passed on players like Patrick Mahomes and a few others, you have to think this team dropped the ball when it came to quarterbacks. Despite the team's issues when it comes to finding quarterback talent, things could be worse, as Chicago could've been stuck with Bryce Young as opposed to Williams. If you remember, just two seasons ago, Chicago finished with the worst record in the NFL and owned the No. 1 overall selection for the 2023 NFL draft. Many people wanted the Bears to go after CJ Stroud or Young with their first pick, but being that Fields was still on the roster made it easier to pass on a quarterback in an effort to acquire other assets. Chicago not only acquired assets but also made one of the most lopsided trades in NFL history, trading away their No. 1 pick to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for additional draft capital and other assets. They used the draft capital to take Darnell Wright with their first pick in the 2023 NFL draft while also picking up Tyrique Stevenson later in the draft. The main piece of the deal was acquiring DJ Moore from Carolina, making him the No. 1 WR in Chicago while also grabbing the Panthers' first-round selection in the 2024 NFL draft. Fortunately, that pick turned into the No. 1 overall selection this year, giving the Bears the quarterback they have been waiting for, while Moore emerged as one of the best WRs in the game after just one season in Chicago. There is no question that the Bears won this trade, and all you have to do is look at what has happened to Young since he was taken No. 1 overall. Young endured a painful rookie season in which he made 16 starts and posted a 2-14 record in those games. Not only that, but he looked overwhelmed all season long as he finished the season with 2877 yards passing to go with 11 TDs and 10 INTs. The fact that he had more TDs than INTs was a bit of a surprise, but it also showed a glimmer of hope that he may turn into something. Then came this season, when Young not only continued to look lost on the field but regressed so much that new head coach Dave Canallis had no choice but to bench him in favor of the veteran Andy Dalton. Across two games this season, Young has thrown for just 247 yards and three interceptions while failing to record a TD pass. Sunday was an all-time worst game for Young, as he finished the game 18-28 for 84 yards, which was the fewest yards ever recorded in an NFL game for a quarterback with at least 15 completions or more. Needless to say, Young is about as broken as one can be at this point and needs a significant mental break to get back on track. As good as he was in college, there were plenty of concerns surrounding him when the draft was unfolding, with his 5-11 size the biggest concern. He is extremely small for a quarterback, and you can see that on the field as he struggles to see over his line to find open guys. It also doesn't help that Carolina has one of the worst, if not the worst, offensive lines in football, which makes it challenging for him to stand in the pocket and find a rhythm. Although 18 games is still considered a small sample size, you have to consider the fact that Young may be a bust at the NFL level as he hasn't shown any signs of growth as a player. Perhaps a change of scenery is what he needs to turn himself into the player he expects to be. Maybe sitting behind a veteran like Dalton can help him see the field and learn the game better, as most rookies in today's game spend some time behind an experienced veteran to learn the game. Regardless of what happens, it's clear that the Bears dodged a bullet by not drafting him and, in return, helped their franchise in the long run. This trade could go down as one of the worst in NFL history and is a classic case of a great college player not being put in a great situation and failing to figure it out at the next level.
