Bears' Justin Fields: I Expect to Be a Franchise QB and Hopefully a Top-5 NFL QB

Justin Fields is setting the bar high before he ever takes an NFL snap.

The Ohio State product was asked about the lackluster history at the quarterback position when it comes to the Chicago Bears after the NFC North team traded up to draft him Thursday, and he told reporters, "I expect myself to be a franchise quarterback and hopefully, one day, a top-five quarterback in this league."

One look at Chicago's quarterback history tells even casual fans all they need to know about the franchise's success, or lack of it, at the position.

Jay Cutler is the Bears' all-time leader in passing yards, but he was just 51-51 as a starter. Next up on the list is Sid Luckman, and he played from 1939-1950 when the aerial attack was nowhere close to as important as it is in the modern-day game. 

And Jim McMahon won the team's only Super Bowl, but that team relied far more on its stout defense and running back Walter Payton than his arm.

The position has been a serious concern of late as well considering Chicago traded up to take Mitchell Trubisky with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft ahead of Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson.

Frankly, Bears fans are starving for a franchise quarterback, and it hasn't helped that the archrival Green Bay Packers have cruised with Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers for approximately three decades while Chicago languished at the position.

That is the situation Fields walks into, but he is someone who has always been under the spotlight as a 5-star prospect, per 247Sports' composite rankings, and a quarterback for marquee programs at Georgia and Ohio State.

His comments indicate he is not lacking confidence, and he will quickly become a fan favorite in Chicago if he lives up to expectations.