Properly Framing a Justin Fields Return

The Bears offseason normally seems more intriguing than the regular season and perhaps this is why some power rankings are talking so much this week about what's coming in the offseason for the team.

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio is one of those being a bit premature.

"The only question left is how high up the organization the changes will go, once the season ends," Florio wrote in this week's power rankings.

The question actually is whether Justin Fields can return and be effective so they know direction next year, and then if they can show progress by winning games to help determine how high up the off-season changes will go. So Florio's entire premise is pushing it all a bit too far, too soon.

The Bears have plenty to determine yet and it's all crammed into the small time period of eight weeks.

They have to determine Justin Fields' status going forward, whether they are drafting a quarterback first. Then, they can look at whether they'll retain the coaching staff.

Progress of any type will go a long way toward keeping the current operation in place because of how far they've come following the extent to which they rebooted the team in 2022.

Justin Fields' absence has delayed the answer.

Most of the power rankings this week acknowledged this in some form.

Winning against Carolina did nothing to help the status of the Bears for power rankings and if Fields can do something about where they're viewed in relation to the rest of the NFL for these final seven games, he'll have answered questions about the future.

If not, then he'll be the first place changes will start.

Here are this week's Bears power rankings.

NBC/Pro Football Talk: 28th

They stayed exactly where they were despite a win, which is probably appropriate because there's little that can be determined in most cases about a team's strength with a backup quarterback at the helm.

NFL.com: 28th

Eric Edholm didn't move the Bears in the rankings, either, and commented how Matt Eberflus' future might be determined already if they played in the first four games at a level where they did while going 2-2 with Tyson Bagent.

SI.com: 31st

The Bears are ranked by Conor Orr ahead of only the team they beat Thursday.

"I think the goal for the Bears is to not get their doors blown off by the Lions twice in the next three weeks," Orr wrote.

The point is something exciting on the field creates the vibes needed to keep everything moving with this group in charge.

The Sporting News: 28th

Vinny Iyer moved them up one spot adn commented on how the defense and running game bailed out their "limited passing game with Tyson Bagent." The interesting thing this week is how much a Justin Fields return would elevate that limited passing game.

CBS Sports: 28th

Pete Prisco moved them up a spot with the win and put it very simply and correctly: "They are showing signs of progress but its time to get Justin Fields back on the field to see if he can be the guy in the long run."

USA Today: 28th

Nate Davis loved how they improved their draft position by beating a team "whose first-round pick you already own."

Yahoo Sports: 28th

A smart observation from Frank Schwab as the Bears remained in the same spot they were last week. He points out how smart they were Monday by waiting to decide on Fields starting because they've been 2-2 with Bagent and if they want a real asssessment of Fields he has to be entirely healthy for it to be a valid one.

ESPN.com: 29th

The Bears moved up one place and beat writer Courtney Cronin addressed the importance of this week's game from a standpoint other than Fields. It's about how well this pass rush works against an offensive line as strong as Detroit's.

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