Obstacle or Minor Issue?
The startling admission Justin Fields suffers from epilepsy has set up the possibility Ohio State's quarterback could slide in this NFL Draft.
It could have happened anyway.
Then again, if NFL personnel people have been watching him throw at workouts and film of games, few would be thinking about looking for a different quarterback option in this draft after the second pick of Round 1 regardless of his condition.
Nevertheless, it wouldn't be shocking if this does affect the thinking of many teams in the top part of the first round. Whether this could cause a fall as far as No. 20, where the Bears are, is anyone's guess. That would be a long way to fall.
The Ian Rapoport report for NFL Network revealing Fields' condition said he has been having seizures resulting from his condition less frequently in recent years, and doctors expect he'll outgrow it because some older family members who suffer from this situation have outgrown it. The situation simply ends on its own.
It didn't prevent him from being Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, this much is certain.
Rapoport said Fields had no absences during his college career for anything related to this.
NFL fans across social media seemed less than concerned about it all and hoped instead for it to mean they would find it easier to draft Fields.
NFL teams face different situations than colleges. The money and pressure are much greater. So it could cause teams to look for other options.
However, modern medicine has made some conditions less of a threat.
The Bears can only be concerned about what they would do because this is all they can control.
The only recent instance of a known situation for the Bears even slightly similar is Jay Cutler's diabetes. He suffered from Type 1 diabetes and the Bears knew this when they acquired him from Denver. He had been diagnosed the season before the Bears made their trade.
Cutler's diet had to be closely watched, especially when they had night games because of later kickoffs and the disruption with his eating routine.
Beyond this, Cutler had no known problems with the Bears and they obviously didn't let this stop them from trading for him.
If Cutler's situation didn't bother Bears ownership, then it would seem unlikely Fields' condition would enter into their thinking if they had the chance to take him.
For most people with epilepsy, seizures can be controlled with medication and it's even suggested simple things like positive lifestyle changes can help. Surgery is a sort of last-ditch way to address it.
Some of those afflicted need very little help and it's not uncommon for it to disappear entirely the way the story described with the other members of Fields' family.
The Bears have been burned by first-round picks suffering from medical conditions in the past but much has changed regarding their athletic training and medical personnel since those days.
Tackle Chris Williams' situation was probably the worst of those. He had a previous back condition and then suffered a back injury at the start of his first training camp in 2008 and had to have surgery.
The 14th pick of the draft, Williams never did live up to expectations in Chicago and eventually wound up at guard before being cut. He played for the Rams and Bills after this for a few years and was out of football by 2015.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
