Chicago Bears fans want nothing more in this world than for Justin Fields to start over Andy Dalton at quarterback. But could their patience pay off in the long run, just as it did for guys like Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady?

That's the case ESPN insider Adam Schefter used to justify the decision to bench the prized rookie, which is sure to be a polarizing take to Bears fans:

“The plan is to guard the big picture and to not break this quarterback before they believe he's ready,” said Schefter of the Bears' Fields. “What about the guys that had the chance to sit on the bench? Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady.”

Mahomes and Brady both played just one game during their rookie seasons. Rodgers' experience with the Green Bay Packers was a little more extreme, sitting for the most part of three NFL seasons before being named QB1. But one difference between their situations and this one with the Bears is simply who they have starting ahead of their young QB.

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The Patriots and Packers had franchise icons Drew Bledsoe and Brett Favre as the incumbent starter. Both those guys definitely had some valuable input to share about not just the position in pros, but the franchise they'll be handing over to the new kid. The Chiefs had Alex Smith at the height of his powers during his run with the team, with three Pro Bowl selections in five seasons, including the final one with Mahomes shadowing him.

Andy Dalton, meanwhile, just joined the Bears at the same time as Justin Fields. He didn't have the same familiarity and success with the franchise for fans to feel like he would be the perfect mentor their QB of the future. In fact, he's performed considerably worse than Fields in the small sample size we've had thus far. It's a bitter pill to swallow week after week for Chicago, indeed.