Will Justin Fields get the nod for Bears in Week 1?

The Chicago Bears are just one NFL team in the midst of a preseason quarterback battle. But for this NFC North squad, is the rookie hopeful already outshining the veteran?

This is the discussion across multiple platforms, in which first-year QB Justin Fields is compared to Andy Dalton -- and the Ohio State product has gained plenty of praise following his performance in the preseason opener.

"The debut featured typical rookie errors, but also play-making abilities that the Bears haven't seen in their quarterback for some time," NFL.com's Chad Reuter wrote following Chicago's 20-13 victory over the Miami Dolphins last weekend. 

VSiN analyst Michael Lombardi agreed, adding that Fields is the "bettor" pick over Dalton. 

"Fields’ arm was alive,” Lombardi said via the New York Post. “He’s very athletic and he can get away from trouble... You watch Dalton play and what are you getting?

“The Bears are hurting on their offensive line. Dalton is going to be a sitting duck back there. I’m just not sold on the (head coach Matt) Nagy offense and I’ve never been. There’s no power to it, and without a great offensive line he’s going to need Fields’ ability to move around and make some plays. Why would Andy Dalton get this job?”

This isn't to say Fields' performance was without its hiccups. As NFL.com's Kevin Patra notes, the rookie threw a couple of early passes that were nearly picked off. But he adjusted and became a driving force for the Bears, registering an eight-yard touchdown run and a 30-yard touchdown pass as Chicago overcame a 13-0 deficit to end the day in the win column.

Of course, as the Post piece reminds us, one preseason game does not make a career and rookie quarterback performances in preseason games don't mean much in the grand scheme of things. 

From the early look of things, however, Justin Fields is putting up a good fight for a starting job.