Watch: Analyst has epic pep talk for Justin Fields ahead of Packers showdown
Although the Chicago Bears were eliminated from playoff contention last week and already possess the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, one player still has much to play for in Week 18.
As Justin Fields gears up for a trip to Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers, "Good Morning Football’s" Kyle Brandt gave the quarterback some words of wisdom.
"I think you want to be a Chicago Bear for life," Brandt said to Fields. "So do it, get it, grab it this weekend. It’s right there."
Fields' future with the Bears has become clouded in doubt over the last several weeks. They hold the No. 1 selection in this year's draft thanks to a trade with the Panthers, who sent that pick and more to move up and select QB Bryce Young first overall in 2023. Chicago is free to choose from any of the top quarterback prospects. North Carolina's Drake Maye and USC's Caleb Williams headline the list of promising signal-callers expected to make an immediate impact in the NFL.
By taking a quarterback No. 1 overall, the Bears would inevitably be admitting that Fields is not part of their future plans. The 24-year-old has proven capable of starting in the NFL, however, and would certainly draw interest from several QB-needy teams.
With a win against the Packers, Brandt believes Fields would earn the right to stay put in Chicago.
"I am sick of reading about your landing spots," Brandt said of Fields. "You can be a Raider. You can be a Falcon. To hell with that. You are an effing Chicago Bear. Homegrown. There is no landing spot because you’re not leaving. Not if you win Sunday against that team in that town."
The Packers could clinch a trip to the playoffs with a win over the Bears, who have been eliminated. Yet according to Brandt, this game means far more for Fields and his team.
"I think it’s the biggest game of your life. I think it is a bigger game for the Bears than it is for the Packers," Brandt said. "Green Bay wins, it determines their next few weeks. Chicago wins, it determines their next few years. You win, it determines your entire career."
"Now, you go up there and you lose, again, how can the Bears keep you? But [if] you go burn Lambeau down, how can they not?" Brandt continued. "You can end two evils in one game: The Green Bay Packers season and the Justin Fields debate."
Green Bay has won nine straight games against Chicago in the NFL's oldest rivalry. If Fields is able to snap the streak, he could potentially cement himself in the Bears' future and their history.
"Justin, this is not your last game as a Bears player," Brandt concluded. "It’s your first game as a Bears legend."
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