The numbers said Filip Gustavsson was one of the best goaltenders in 2022-23, his first full season in the NHL, which is why Wild general manager Bill Guerin signed him to a three-year, $11.25 million contract extension.

Gustavsson was 22-9-7 with a 2.10 goals-against average and .931 save percentage, second only to the Bruins’ Vezina Trophy winner, Linus Ullmark, and the Wild started the season with a promo spot about the team riding the “Gus Bus” in 2023-24. But while Gustavsson has shown flashes of that brilliance this season, the young Swede hasn’t been nearly as good as he was last year.

The Wild have been banged up all season, especially on the blue line, which certainly has played a part in Gustavsson’s season. He’s 17-15-4 with a 3.26 goals-against average and .894 save percentage. But the play in front of him hasn’t been the only issue.

After holding the NHL’s highest-scoring team to one regulation goal Friday in Denver, a 2-1 overtime loss that ended with a power-play goal by Valeri Nichushkin, Gustavsson acknowledged his erratic play.

“That’s unfortunately been the whole thing, all year,” he said. “I had a few good games, and I had some very bad ones.”

Maybe Gustavsson’s first two games were an omen. In the opener against Florida at Xcel Energy Center, he stopped 41 shots to shut out the defending Eastern Conference champion. Two nights later, he stopped only 26 of 33 shots in a 7-4 loss at Toronto.

Gustavsson has allowed two or fewer goals in 11 games this season but has surrendered five or more goals eight times. In maybe the defining game of the Wild’s season, he allowed six goals in a 6-1 loss to Nashville, their closest competitor for the Western Conference’s last wild card spot, on Jan. 25 at Xcel Energy Center.

“Coaches and teammates hate that because they don’t know what they’re going to get from you,” Gustavsson said.

John Hynes, who replaced Dean Evason as coach on Nov. 28, didn’t disagree.

“I think he’s right on with what he’s talking about,” Hynes said after Friday’s game at Ball Arena. “I think he’s played some really good hockey in my time here, but I think there’s been some inconsistencies, and it was nice to see him be able to play that type of game.”

The Wild won 11 of their first 14 games under Hynes, and Gustavsson started 10 of them, going 8-2-0 with a 1.87 goals-against average and .931 save percentage Nov. 28-Dec. 27. Over the next 15, was 6-7-1 with an .881 save percentage and 3.94 GAA, a run that included surrendering five goals on 16 shots in the Wild’s 10-7 victory over Vancouver on Feb. 19.

Marc-Andre Fleury, meanwhile, has been hot. He started a 5-2 victory over the Coyotes in Tempe, Ariz., on Thursday and is 6-2-0 with a .921 save percentage and 2.16 GAA in his past 10 appearances.

Gustavsson was strong Friday in Denver. The Avalanche, who have scored an NHL-best 239 goals this season, lit the lamp just 42 seconds into the first period but were held without a goal for more than 60 minutes until Nichushkin’s 4-on-3 overtime winner with 11 seconds left in their power play.

The question now, Hynes said, is “what’s the next one gonna be like? That’s something that we’ve talked with him about. He knows that.”

It’s unclear who will start in net for Sunday afternoon’s game against Nashville at the X, the first of nine straight games against conference rivals, each a chance for the Wild to stay in the playoff hunt over their last 18 regular-season games.

“You’re not gonna be able to make a strong push over the course of the next week if you’re not getting the type of goaltending we got from Fleury last night and Gustavsson tonight,” Hynes said.

Said Gustavsson, “All I can do is try to be more consistent in the future, and that’s what I’m working on.”

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The Chicago Cubs announced one of their most important offseason decisions Monday, naming John Steinmiller, formerly with the Blackhawks, as their new senior director of media relations.

It’s not exactly bringing back Cody Bellinger, but it’s newsworthy, and that counts for something during this Cubs offseason, where President Jed Hoyer has been biding his time while waiting for the prices of free agents to drop.

At least the Rickettses aren’t messing around in this key position, which serves as the bridge between the local media and manager Craig Counsell and his players.

Steinmiller, who replaces veteran Jason Carr, has been in the business since 2005 when he began with the Milwaukee Brewers. His relationship with Counsell should serve him well, and he has a familiarity with most of the Chicago media, including me.

Steinmiller still took the job, which is commendable.

There may be no more thankless job than that of media relations for a professional sports team, especially a major market team like the Cubs. You’re dealing with managers who might be in a cranky mood after a crushing loss, players who decide to leave the clubhouse without talking to the media after hitting a game-winning home run, and writers constantly asking: “Is Jed talking today?”

The relationship between the media and athletes has changed dramatically over the last 20 years, with less access for reporters, fewer stars who feel the need to talk before or after games, and front-office executives who only deal with national writers at the expense of their beat writers.

The main responsibility of a media relations boss is to make sure the team always comes out in the best light, or if it’s a particularly controversial news story to perform some damage control. Steinmiller should be well-prepared after working for the Blackhawks, where damage control has become an art form in the last few years.

The last time I saw Steinmiller at a Blackhawks game, I accidentally stepped on the Blackhawks logo in the postgame locker room, which drew a much-deserved reprimand from one of his media relations assistants: “Hey, get off the logo!” Instead of a lifetime ban, I got off with a warning to watch my step.

Everyone deserves a second chance, though I’ve avoided the Blackhawks locker room since. Fortunately, the floor of the Cubs’ clubhouse is simply a weathered carpet without any logo, so there will be no worries about a repeat offense unless stepping on Clark the Cub counts.

Steinmiller also reminded me that day of the time I wrote in the Chicago Tribune that Counsell was “tragically unhip,” apparently making fun of the new Cubs manager back when he was running the Brewers. I couldn’t remember writing anything like that, but a quick Google search revealed Steinmiller’s memory was accurate.

While writing a Cubs-Brewers series preview in August 2018, I wrote of the competing managers: ”Hipster Joe Maddon matches wits with the tragically unhip Craig Counsell.” Oof. I have no reason to believe Counsell is unhip, tragically or otherwise. The Tribune regrets the error.

Counsell has been around for a long time. He probably doesn’t need any assistance from Steinmiller on how to deal with the Chicago baseball media, which is much larger — and a bit snarkier — than our peers in Milwaukee, except for the Marquee Sports Network, the Cubs-owned outlet that treated former manager David Ross like he was part of the network and thus blameless during the team’s end-of-season collapse.

Hoyer obviously saw otherwise and made the right call on replacing Ross with Counsell, whose $40 million contract is the largest of any manager in MLB history.

Counsell seems to have a quirky sense of humor, which will likely be necessary as he begins the long grind when spring training starts in two weeks in Mesa, Ariz. As former manager Lou Piniella said in spring training 2007: “This is no push-button operation, I can tell you that.”

After an uneventful start to the offseason, the Cubs have made a couple of big moves since the calendar turned, signing Japanese starter Shota Imanaga and reliever Héctor Neris. Everyone still expects Hoyer to re-sign Bellinger, but until he’s in camp it’s mere guesswork.

“Anyone can do a deal,” Hoyer told fans at the Cubs Convention. “Anyone can say yes to an agent’s asking price. If you do that, you’re going to run out of money really quickly.”

I doubt the Rickettses will ever run out of money, no matter how much they give Bellinger or anyone else. But if Hoyer signs Bellinger at a bargain price, his strategy will have worked and most fans will be satisfied. If Bellinger signs elsewhere, the Cubs could be looking at another 80-win season.

Everything really hinges on one decision.

The 2024 season is almost here, but there’s still time to make a move or two. Hopefully Hoyer gives his new media relations director something to do as Steinmiller begins his new job on Feb. 5.

Those press releases don’t write themselves.

()

The way it looks now, the Vikings won’t be the highest free agency bidder for quarterback Kirk Cousins, who still seems destined for Atlanta with the Falcons.

The Falcons have more talent than the Vikings, and their NFC South division, which Tampa Bay won last season by going just 9-8, would be easier to win than the Vikings’ NFC North.

The Lions clearly are the best team in the NFC North, the Packers are on the rise, and the Bears probably will take QB Caleb Williams with their No. 1 overall pick in next month’s draft.

The Bears also have the No. 9 overall pick.

If winning is Cousins’ priority (besides an anticipated $90 million, two-year guaranteed contract), he’ll have a much easier path in Atlanta than in Minnesota.

>> It also looks like there are teams willing to pay free agent Danielle Hunter more than the Vikings can pay. Hunter, 29, is expected to cost in the range of $70 million over three years, with nearly $40 million guaranteed.

>> To move up from the Vikings’ No. 11 slot in next month’s draft to No. 3 to take an elite QB, it would cost at least this year’s first-round pick plus first-round picks in 2025 and 2026.

Carolina last year, tired of signing veteran QBs like Sam Arnold, Baker Mayfield and Teddy Bridgewater without success, decided to gamble and moved from No. 9 overall to No. 1 to take Alabama’s Bryce Young, who was underwhelming in his rookie season. The move with Chicago cost the Panthers their Nos. 9 and No. 61 picks in 2023, their first-rounder this year, a second-rounder in 2025 plus standout wide receiver DJ Moore.

>> For years, the Vikings haven’t had favorable salary cap situations. But in 2025 they could have as much as $100 million in cap room.

>> The Twins haven’t yet commissioned Bill Mack, the noted sculptor who produced bronze statues at Target Field of Hall of Famers Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew, Kirby Puckett and Tony Oliva, for a Joe Mauer statue. But that’s expected at some point in the near future.

>> Mauer’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony on July 21 in Cooperstown, N.Y., will begin at 12:30 p.m. Minnesota time and will be televised live on MLB Network. Mauer’s Hall of Fame plaque, which won’t be revealed publicly until just before his induction speech, will be limited to about 90 words.

>> The Pohlad family that owns the Twins is planning a special party for Mauer’s family and friends on Saturday evening in Cooperstown, the day before his induction. A number of Joe’s former teammates plan to be in Cooperstown for his induction.

>> The Mauer family will be inducted into the Catholic Athletic Association Hall of Fame during its 75th anniversary celebration on April 15 at the University of St. Thomas.

>> Look for Andy MacPhail to present Terry Ryan when he’s inducted into the Twins Hall of Fame on Aug. 10 at Target Field.

>> The only other city besides St. Paul to produce four Hall of Famers (Mauer, Paul Molitor, Dave Winfield and Jack Morris) is Mobile, Ala., which produced Hank Aaron, Willie McCovey, Satchel Paige and Ozzie Smith.

There are just 78 living Hall of Fame members, including Bert Blyleven (72), Rod Carew (78), Jim Kaat (85), Mauer (40), Molitor (67), Morris (68), Tony Oliva (85) and Winfield (72).
Kaat is the oldest living former Twin. Mauer is the youngest Hall of Famer in Cooperstown, Willie Mays (92) the oldest. Mays, the former Minneapolis Miller, recently underwent a second hip replacement.

>> The reigning division champion Twins, who had an attendance of 1.98 million last year and hope to go well past 2 million this season, have renewed full-season ticket equivalents at nearly 97 percent. Attendance during 18 spring training games in Fort Myers, Fla., is expected to finish at more than 120,000.

>> Tickets remain for the Twins’ Target Field opener against Cleveland on April 4, as well as the Dodgers series April 8-10.

>> Future hall of famer Clayton Kershaw, 36, (shoulder injury) will not be available to the World Series favorite Dodgers when they face the Twins.

>> Simley grad Michael Busch, 26, whom the Dodgers this winter traded to the Cubs, homered on Thursday night against the Reds’ Hunter Greene.

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>> Mounds View grad Sam Hentges, the 6-7 left-handed Cleveland reliever with a 95-mph fastball, enters this season with a $1.2 million contract.

>> Sonny Gray, 34, who fled the Twins for a $75 million, three-year contract from St. Louis, was to be the Cardinals’ opening day pitcher against Miami before straining a hamstring the other day.

>> Ex-Gopher Max Meyer from Woodbury, recovered from Tommy John surgery, struck out two in his initial two-inning appearance for the Marlins this spring and has fanned three in four innings overall. He hasn’t given up a run in his two outings.

>> Iowa senior Caitlin Clark, national women’s basketball player of the year in 2023 and will be this year, too, is averaging 32 points and 8.6 assists per game. Hopkins grad Paige Bueckers, who was national player of the year in 2021 as a freshman at UConn, is averaging 20.7 points and 3.7 assists as a junior.

Clark, whose name, image and likeness (NIL) earnings at Iowa are worth an estimated $2 million annually, will make a first-year salary of about $76,000 as the anticipated WNBA first-round draft pick by the Indiana Fever. She’s at Target Center for the Big Ten tournament.

>> Minnehaha Academy 7-1 grad Chet Holmgren of the Thunder, competing against Victor Wembanyama for NBA rookie of the year, is averaging 17 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks while shooting 54 percent. The 7-4 Wembanyama of the Spurs is averaging 20.7 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.4 blocks while shooting 46.9 percent. The Thunder, though, are winning while the Spurs are losing.

>> Multi-faceted Tim Laudner returns for his 17th season as pre- and postgame TV analyst for the Twins and is expected to work at least 100 games.

>> If Gophers 6-11 Dawson Garcia, 22, isn’t a second-round pick in June’s NBA draft, he probably can land a $500,000 job playing overseas, assuming he doesn’t return to Minnesota.

>> Sportswriting awards keep coming for St. Thomas Academy grad Judd Spicer, based in Palm Springs, the latest from the Golf Writers Association of America for an amazing real-life story that has a Hollywood movie company interested.

>> National sportscaster Dan Patrick is celebrity grand marshal for downtown St. Paul’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade beginning at noon Saturday.

>> Nice to see former Cretin basketball standout Bill Madden, who turns 99 in May, as sharp as ever and doing well at Indian Wells in Palm Desert, Calif.

>> The only current NCAA Division I men’s basketball coaches with at least 10 seasons experience and a better winning percentage (.735) than St. Thomas’ Johnny Tauer are Kentucky’s John Calipari, Gonzaga’s Mark Few and Kansas’ Bill Self.

Don’t print that

>> Pssst: Another deadline extension for Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore to close the $1.5 billion sale of the Timberwolves and Lynx, initially set for last Dec. 31, has been granted by owner Glen Taylor. After several delays, the last deadline of Feb. 29 has been extended to March 27.

Awkwardly, Rodriguez and Lore still have not provided sought-after documents or even communicated with Taylor since January. But the buyers recently provided sale information to the NBA, which of last week hadn’t had time to review it.

If Rodriguez and Lore, who appears to be the lead investor, don’t comply by the coming deadline, the sale agreement could be canceled. If the sale is canceled, Taylor and his limited partners would get to keep payments totaling about $600 million that have already been secured.

Meanwhile, a little birdie says Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google, has invested 3.5% in the sale with Rodriguez and Lore. Hall of Fame former Timberwolf Kevin Garnett has been approached by Rodriguez and Lore to be part of the new operation, but there’s no official agreement.

>> If Kirk Cousins leaves the Vikings via free agency, and team owners Zygi and Mark Wilf really believe in GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and coach Kevin O’Connell, both entering the third year of four-year contracts, it would seem they would pay whatever it takes to move up in next month’s draft to take a quarterback. If they have doubts about Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell, though, they would seem to have them bring in a Band-Aid quarterback, then clean house at the end of the year.

>> Should Timberwolf Anthony Edwards, 22, be named to either a first-, second- or third all-NBA team this year, which is probable, he’ll receive a $40 million contract increase, bringing his new five-year extension to $260 million.

>> There’s a decent chance that 6-8, 321-pound Joe Alt, 21, the former Totino-Grace and Notre Dame left tackle, could be blocking for Aaron Rodgers next season for the Jets, who have the No. 10 pick in April’s draft.

>> Bloomington Jefferson and U of Minnesota grad Brian Dutcher, the San Diego State men’s basketball coach who was contacted by the Gophers after Richard Pitino’s firing, last week received his anticipated contract raise of nearly $1 million as part of a new five-year deal worth $2.3 million annually with a $10.2 million buyout.

>> National champion Michigan had 18 players at the NFL Combine. The Gophers, who finished in a last-place Big Ten West division tie, had two (tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford and safety Tyler Rubin).

What’s amazing is that University of Minnesota regents two weeks ago approved $5.7 million in retention bonuses for football coach P.J. Fleck based on a rumor that UCLA might have been interested in Fleck, who is paid $6 million a year. The contract for the coach UCLA hired, DeShaun Foster, is only slightly more than half of what the Gophers pay Fleck. And Foster’s predecessor, Chip Kelly, was paid less than Fleck, too.

>> It’s unclear where free agent ex-Vikings QB Josh Dobbs will end up, but probably somewhere as a second-stringer.

>> Best odds are that Danielle Hunter will sign with either the Jaguars, Bears or Lions if he isn’t re-signed by the Vikings, per BetOnline.ag.

>> Counting the $221,000 Eric van Rooyen, 34, earned for finishing in a tie for eighth in the recent Mexico Open, then the $801,000 the ex-Gopher won last week for finishing in a tie for second in the Cognizant Classic in Florida, he now ranks No. 23 on the PGA Tour money list with $1.54 million. The top 50 in the Official World Golf Rankings the week prior get invited to the Masters (April 11-14) at Augusta National. Van Rooyen, who is playing in the $20 million Arnold Palmer Invitational this weekend, ranks No. 59.

>> The Twins remain in active conversations with a number of potential jersey patch sponsorship partners for this season. Fifteen of baseball’s 30 clubs already have jersey patch deals. A Twins patch deal, counting associated sponsorships that could go with it, could be worth more than $5 million a year. A Yankees jersey patch sponsorship is worth a reported $25 million annually.

>> The Twins continue to study how to deploy artificial intelligence (AI) and how it can affect their organization, including the way they procure talent and develop players, as well as for custom fan experience at Target Field.

>> Ex-Twin Miguel Sano, 30, listed in spring camp with the Angels as a 272-pound first baseman on a minor league deal, has four hits (two home runs) in 26 at-bats (.154), with 11 strikeouts.

>> First baseman Joey Gallo, 30, struck out 142 times in 282 at-bats for the Twins last season, for which he was paid $11 million. This season he got a $5 million contract from the Nationals, for whom this spring he is hitting .074 in 14 at-bats with eight strikeouts.

>> Lake Elmo resident Jake Guentzel, 29, the former Hill-Murray hockey star traded on Thursday night by Pittsburgh to Carolina, can expect a salary in the $8 million per season range this summer.

>> New head golf professional at Stillwater Country Club will be Matt Skoglund, who was head pro at Grandview Lodge in Nisswa, Minn. His father, Tom, is head pro at Town and Country Club in St. Paul.

>> Long-hitting Cretin-Derham Hall golfer Joe Honsa, a junior, has committed to the Gophers.

>> The Twins aren’t the only club to open the season with a lower payroll than last year. Eighteen others are projected to do the same, per Front Office Sports.

>> Ex-Apple Valley point guard Tyus Jones, 27, playing for $14 million for Washington this season, becomes a free agent at season’s end. Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley, 36, playing for $24 million this season, recently agreed to a $21 million, two-year contract extension.

>> Former Apple Valley power forward Gary Trent Jr., 25, paid $19 million this season by the Raptors, becomes a free agent at season’s end.

>> Plans are for the $100,000 initiation-fee Tepetonka golf club near Willmar to break ground in 60 days. Tentative opening is for July of 2025.

>> Among a myriad of responsibilities officially listed last week for applicants for the Gophers head baseball coaching job: possibly “moving, lifting and carrying material weighing up to 70 pounds.”

>> Esteemed former Gophers baseball assistant Rob Fornasiere will be TV analyst for all Gophers Big Ten Network Plus home games.

>> The Twins fantasy camp for January 2025 in Fort Myers, Fla., already is sold out at $5,495 plus tax for first-year campers, $4,995 plus tax for returning campers. It’s another $200 if paying by credit card. Among the 128 campers last January, five were women.

Overheard

>> Twins president Dave St. Peter, considering Minnesota’s abnormally warm winter weather, on his club’s April 4 Target Field opener against Cleveland: “I hope Mother Nature has something in reserve.”

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The Chicago Bears have a new offensive coordinator, announcing the hiring Tuesday of former Seattle Seahawks coordinator Shane Waldron.

With that question answered, attention focuses even more on what the team will do at quarterback. And not surprisingly, QB questions dominate this week’s edition of Brad Biggs’ Bears mailbag.

Part of me thinks Shane Waldron is a great hire because of how Geno Smith went from castoff to enjoying a rejuvenated career. But the skeptic in me says maybe Dave Canales was behind Smith coming on and the Seahawks offense was middling despite great WRs/RBs. What do you think of the hire? — @tn5280

How the Bears will look under Waldron is one of the biggest questions surrounding the Bears. We’ll need more information and a better idea of what the roster looks like in the spring to really dive into this. As you know, a coordinator can be only as good as the parts he has to work with. I called a veteran pro scout for his take on Waldron and the work he did in Seattle over the last three seasons.

“Sean McVay is the best play caller in the NFL right now, and Waldron’s system is going to be a direct reflection of that scheme,” the scout said. “In Seattle, they did open up the offense for Geno, and Shane worked for a head coach (Pete Carroll) that would pressure him to run the ball consistently. Waldron is a good play caller. You can wonder if he worked for a head coach that didn’t allow him to really open it up. Is he going to encounter the same thing with Matt Eberflus, another defensive head coach? Maybe.

“The run game is at the foundation of what McVay does. It creates a lot of formational variance, there’s a lot of misdirection and motion and all of that builds out to the passing game. McVay has transitioned to more of a gap scheme running the ball. (Waldron is) going to need athletic linemen, and the Bears have some of those.”

A lot of folks are wondering how Waldron’s offense will differ from what the Bears did under Luke Getsy, who had similar roots. It’s possible there could be more pre-snap movement, but we won’t know that for a while. The Seahawks really struggled to run the ball this season, but a lot of that can be attributed to a rash of injuries on the offensive line.

There has been intense focus on the scheme and X’s and O’s and play calling and how all of that will fit. That’s a huge part of the job. What also cannot be overlooked is how Waldron commands the room. How he presents information to players. How he connects with players. He essentially will be the head coach of the offense, and a lot more goes into the job than a game plan and play calls. There’s a lot to learn about Waldron and a ton of ground for the Bears to cover in terms of roster decisions.

Why are you not giving more consideration to the possibility Ryan Poles decides to trade down from No. 1 and build the roster around Justin Fields, who would then have another season or two to prove himself? He’d be in position with additional draft capital to get a quarterback in the future if Fields didn’t become the right guy. — Jordan M., Fishers, Ind.

It would be foolish to rule out any possibility at this early juncture, but I don’t think the odds of your scenario happening are very high. The Bears are in the unusual position of owning the No. 1 pick for the second consecutive year, and they’ve had rocky quarterback play — for a lot of reasons — for more than two years in a row. There’s no telling what kind of draft capital Poles would have in the future if he trades down.

When the Bears traded the No. 1 pick last year, it was the 13th time the top pick had been traded since 1967. Only two of those previous deals involved a future first-round pick.

In 2016, the St. Louis Rams traded up to No. 1 with the Tennessee Titans to select quarterback Jared Goff. The Titans wound up with the fifth pick in 2017 coming back from the Rams and used it on wide receiver Corey Davis.
In 1990, the Indianapolis Colts traded up to No. 1 with the Atlanta Falcons to select quarterback Jeff George. The Falcons wound up with the 13th pick in 1991 coming back from the Colts and used it on wide receiver Mike Pritchard.

If the Bears trade down from No. 1, there’s no way of knowing how valuable the pick(s) they would get back will be. The chances of them landing the No. 1 pick again wouldn’t be very good. For the sake of discussion, let’s say in a trade-down scenario, Poles nets the No. 4 pick in 2025. If there is one elite quarterback in that class, good luck being able to move up and get that player.

When quarterback is an issue and you’re in position to address the issue, I think you have to take action. I believe that is what the Bears will do.

After watching two weekends of playoff football, the passing plays and route designs are far more creative than what we saw from the Bears. Is it the offensive coordinator and play calling, the WR corps or just a plain talent disparity? — Ron M., DeKalb, Ill.

The route concepts you have seen in the playoffs are very similar to what the Bears did with Luke Getsy and really what every offense runs. There are only so many ways you can skin the cat, and the only real differences are in formations, pre-snap movement — and, of course, skill-position talent.

What you’ve seen throughout the playoffs is more talented pocket throwers than what the Bears have had for a long stretch, predating the Justin Fields era. C.J. Stroud, Patrick Mahomes, Jordan Love, Josh Allen, Brock Purdy, Jared Goff and Lamar Jackson are all highly skilled throwing from the pocket and on time. Most of the throws Jackson made Saturday, with the exception of the pass off the quarterback sweep, were from the pocket.

That’s what you haven’t seen with a high level of consistency from the Bears. That’s what looks different.

I’m confused by the argument that resetting the QB clock — saving $30 million for three years — is more cost effective than trading down and continuing with Justin Fields. That amount will get you maybe two or three impact players for the three years of savings, right? Meanwhile, a trade like the one last year will net about four additional first/second-round draft choices on four- or five-year rookie contracts. Even with having to pay Fields in Year 3, that strikes me as more cost effective and consistent with the “build-through-the-draft” mantra. Conceding that you’ll probably upgrade the QB position using the first pick, at what cost to other positions? Your thoughts? — Glen H.

My reaction is that the whole idea of resetting the quarterback clock by drafting one to replace Fields, who has played three seasons, is only a minor part of the evaluation for the Bears. This would be an added benefit but only if the Bears wind up with the right quarterback.

The bottom line is that the Bears have had inadequate quarterback play, and if you’ve watched the playoffs even casually, you’ve seen that the remaining teams are getting high-level play at the position. It’s nearly impossible to be a consistent contender and have sustained success if you don’t get it right at quarterback.

With average quarterback play — and the Bears have had below-average play — nearly everything else needs to be elite to have a chance to make a postseason run. The Bears are in position with the first and ninth draft picks to select a new quarterback and change the trajectory of their offense. The financial ramifications of a rookie quarterback in the first year of his contract is only a small part of the equation.

The question the Bears have to ask themselves is would adding more talent through a trade down raise Fields’ play to a level that leads to sustained success. That’s possible, and Fields’ supporters certainly would push this thinking. The Bears would have to hit on those picks too.

There are so many ways to examine this scenario. I keep circling back to the fact Fields has had three years as the starter and hasn’t been good enough on a consistent basis, and here the Bears are with the No. 1 pick in what looks like a pretty darn good year to be sitting at the top of the draft if you need a quarterback. It’s really not complicated.

I’m sure there are many who are curious if Tyson Bagent could be the future quarterback. How about keeping Justin Fields next year, trading down and reevaluating things after 2024? — Joe H., Palos Park

Bagent’s development as an undrafted rookie and the fact he beat out P.J. Walker for a roster spot and then went 2-2 as the starter was a terrific story. I think Bagent has the ability to stick in the league for many years. He’s wired to succeed and the moment wasn’t too big for him in spots where we’ve seen quarterbacks with a lot more seasoning fall on their faces.

Bagent needs more time, though, and I don’t think what we saw screamed “future franchise quarterback.” The team won’t put a ceiling on his development, but it would be beyond risky to bet on Bagent for the future and use that as a rationalization to keep Fields.

You mentioned that it will not be possible to retain Justin Fields while taking a quarterback with the first pick, and the reasoning you provided makes sense to me. What is the possibility of picking up Fields’ fifth-year option and building weapons around him, and draft J.J. McCarthy late first round or in the second round? This will give Fields enough time to prove himself while McCarthy develops. This will not disrupt locker-room dynamics, and McCarthy has shown great leadership, maturity and key plays to help win the national championship. — Karthik J., Peoria

It’s possible the Bears could use the first pick on a quarterback and retain Fields. It’s my opinion they won’t choose that avenue. I don’t think the Bears are inclined to exercise the fifth-year option for 2025 in Fields’ contract because he hasn’t played well enough over three seasons for that to be a viable consideration.

There’s a decent chance McCarthy will be drafted in the top half of the first round. I’d be surprised if he lasted into Round 2, but we do see quarterbacks fall on occasion. I don’t believe the Bears would disrupt the locker room if they draft a quarterback and move on from Fields. You know what players will do if the team drafts a quarterback? Support the new guy. That’s what good teammates do. They have their quarterback’s back.

With Cole Kmet under contract for the foreseeable future and Robert Tonyan and Marcedes Lewis low-usage guys this year, is there any chance the Bears would draft Brock Bowers if he falls to them? — Mike F., Chicago

Bowers is an interesting prospect and a highly skilled tight end. The Bears would have to desire to use a ton of two-tight-end formations if they invested in Bowers. It’s more likely they would select a wide receiver as they don’t have a No. 2 opposite DJ Moore under contract right now and they probably want to create some competition for Tyler Scott for the No. 3 role.

Why is a Justin Fields trade only worth a Round 2 pick when there are so many QB-needy teams and the potential is clearly there for him to develop into something special? — @opinion4you

I don’t think anyone knows specifically what Fields would command in a trade. I’ve written that I highly doubt the Bears could get a first-round pick in return. It’s possible they could get a second-rounder, or the best offer could be a third-round pick and change or maybe a third-rounder with conditions that could improve to a second. Who knows?

The more teams potentially involved, the more negotiating power the Bears would have. Fields’ value is limited by his performance in 38 career starts and the fact he’s currently under contract for only one more season with an option for 2025. His value also would be limited if teams believe the Bears are definitely going to select a quarterback in the first round. That’s one reason I expect GM Ryan Poles to play poker for a while as he sorts through the multitude of options.

I have heard many experts say Justin Fields does not make quick enough decisions in the pocket, which leads to sacks or chunk plays that don’t materialize. I have heard that Caleb Williams will step up in the pocket and under pressure will deliver positive plays without holding on to the ball too long. Of course both can scramble when necessary. Can coaches compare what Williams does against inferior college-level talent and compare that to what Fields does in the NFL? — Ed S., Auburn, Ala.

That’s an interesting question. One of the knocks on Williams, especially this past season, was that he also had a propensity to hold the ball too long waiting for something to materialize.

I don’t know that the Bears are comparing Fields and Williams side by side. They need to complete an exhaustive review of Fields and determine what they believe his career arc to be heading into Year 4. Then they need to thoroughly study the quarterbacks in this draft class — Williams and all of the others — and project those players’ floors and ceilings. After that, they can get an idea of what the best direction would be, whether that means keeping Fields, keeping Fields and drafting a quarterback or drafting a quarterback and moving on from Fields.

They’re in an enviable position with the first and ninth picks and they control the market. When evaluating Williams (and really all of the quarterbacks), it’s a projection to determine how they would fare in the NFL after playing against college defenses. It’s also a projection when considering the players they had surrounding them. Williams didn’t have a lot around him this past season. USC had a poor offensive line and not a lot of skill talent on the outside.

If the Bears and White Sox are both looking for new stadiums, what is the chance that they would end up sharing one? — Dave, San Diego

The Oakland Coliseum, when it was home to the Raiders of the NFL and Athletics of MLB, was the last multiuse stadium. Those days are gone and I don’t see them returning in the near future. Teams desire stadiums that are designed specifically for their sport. I’d put the chances of the Bears and Sox calling the same building home at zero.

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