I don’t blame anyone for making the obvious connection to Alex Smith and Patrick Mahomes when projecting what the Bears’ development plan for Justin Fields this season.
NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport discussed it recently:
From NFL Now: The #Bears get their first look at first-round QB Justin Fields, who they hope to bring along slowly. pic.twitter.com/BWw4IBeuRm
And so did ESPN’s Dianna Russini:
Rapoport is a seasoned league insider with a wealth of sources and insight. Russini was embedded with the Bears on Draft Night ’21, so her perspective on this matter comes from a place of recent familiarity.