Bears GM: No need to 'rush' Justin Fields

The harsh truth of the matter is that Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace are undeniably putting their jobs on the line by insisting that veteran Andy Dalton will start at quarterback over rookie and No. 11 overall draft pick Justin Fields until further notice despite outcries from fans and observers for the Bears to go with the first-year pro. 

Pace defended that decision when speaking with reporters on Wednesday. 

"There’s no need to rush Justin," Pace explained, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. 

The Bears open the regular season with a "Sunday Night Football" showdown at the Los Angeles Rams, so it makes sense Nagy and Pace wouldn't want to toss Fields into the figurative deep end against a stellar pass defense in front of a prime-time national television audience for his first official NFL appearance. 

Chicago plays at the Pittsburgh Steelers on "Monday Night Football" in Week 9 before the bye week and a Week 11 home game against the Baltimore Ravens on Nov. 21. Fields could theoretically receive a start either that Sunday or for the Thanksgiving Day matchup at the Detroit Lions if the Bears have a losing record by that stage of the season.