The Bears have a chance to choose a generational quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft, but the opportunity has divided (and exhausted) the team’s fanbase.
Why it matters: The unlikely QB controversy has turned an awesome moment into a miserable experience for many fans who entered this offseason excited about the future direction of their favorite team.
- It’s also become a lightning rod for national sports media, dominating the NFL combine, which continues today in Indianapolis.
Friction point: Fans are split on whether the Bears should pick the best consensus QB in the draft, USC’s Caleb Williams, or trade the top spot for a king’s ransom, bringing in blue-chip players to support current quarterback Justin Fields.
- If the Bears go with Williams, they will almost certainly trade Fields.
What they’re saying: “If we were to do something with Justin, I want to do right by him,” Bears GM Ryan Poles said Tuesday, which led to more speculation and more ink spilled about what he is signaling.
The intrigue: Everything is a so-called sign. Wednesday, Fields’ agent posted a video of the quarterback literally jumping for joy, which has fans speculating he’s being traded to Atlanta.
- Last week, Fields caused a stir by unfollowing the Bears on Instagram. Before that, sources told talk radio that Williams didn’t want to come to Chicago (which was later debunked).
- It’s like Bears fans have turned into Swifties.
Vibe: The fanbase is so split on which direction to go, some have created hilarious “attack ads” on social media, more akin to what you’d see closer to Election Day.
The other side: In a move that will divide the fanbase even further, Williams told ESPN that he loves deep-dish pizza.
The bottom line: We can’t take much more of the suspense.
