Getty QB Justin Fields
Adam Hoge of NBC Sports covered Mitch Trubisky’s entrance into the NFL after he was drafted by the Chicago Bears second overall in 2017, and Hoge was at rookie minicamps yet again when the team’s new quarterback, Justin Fields, made his debut.
Admittedly, it’s far too early to make any determinations or strong assertions about Fields’ career trajectory, and Hoge acknowledges this, but in his latest column, the Bears insider had some sobering comments about the differences he has seen up close between the two quarterbacks.
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Hoge on Trubisky vs. Fields: ‘It Was a Different Experience’
“It only took one rep for Mitch Trubisky to botch a snap under center. That was literally the first sentence of my column following Trubisky’s first rookie minicamp practice,” Hoge began, before breaking down the differences in how rookie minicamps went for both young signal-callers. With Trubisky, Hoge says, “Snaps were fumbled. Balls hit the ground. At least one pass was intercepted. It was a different experience than what we witnessed with Fields.”
Trubisky entered the NFL with just one year of experience and 13 collegiate starts at North Carolina. Fields started 22 games at Ohio State over the last two seasons, and he also played on a far bigger stage, which Hoge factors in when comparing the two:
“Both Fields and Trubisky entered their rookie minicamps with similar short-term questions,” Hoge said. “Neither player was asked to command a huddle or take many snaps from under center in college. In the larger picture, Fields played in bigger games and handled more full-field reads, but in terms of what they were focused on in minicamp, the goals were pretty similar. And there’s no doubt Fields performed better.”
Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times seems to agree with Hoge’s assessment. Potash, who also observed the debuts of both quarterbacks, noted Fields has “no overt bad habits” the way Trubisky did.
4. With all due respect to Mitch Trubisky, Justin Fields is a different animal. This kid doesn’t look like he needs training wheels. The snaps he took under center looked totally natural. Trubisky, who had just 13 starts under his belt, had a much longer learning curve.
4/100
7. I’ve seen many #Bears rookie QBs in their first practice. Vince Evans had a habit of patting the ball before he threw that had to be coached out of. Trubisky had center-snap issues (h/t @jon_greenberg). Fields had no overt bad habits that might slow his developmental arc.
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Fields’ Ex-Coach Also Had Some Revealing Comments
Current Ohio State Buckeyes coach Ryan Day, who worked with Fields for the last two seasons, also detailed why his former pupil should be more NFL-ready than most rookies.
“We have an NFL-style offense and he really grabbed onto that. I think the first thing for him was the work in the classroom, understanding protections and route structures, defensive structures, how teams would try to attack him,” Day said after Fields was drafted by the Bears 11th overall.
Those familiar with Trubisky’s shortcomings know reading defenses certainly wasn’t his strong suit. Neither was decision-making, which is another trait Day says Fields excels at. “He will adjust with what he needs to adjust with. The thing about him is if maybe it’s not working, he’ll get it solved quickly. The thing I always go back to is he’s never not succeeded,” Day said.
“When that game ticks up in the NFL, I’d be shocked if he doesn’t pick up really, really fast and make those adjustments. Why? Because he can. He’s really intelligent. He’s really athletic. And really competitive. He’ll get that really, really fast and they’ll train him in those areas, but when he was with us, the decision-making and all that stuff was excellent.”
The Bears can only hope Fields becomes not just the first successful franchise quarterback to enter the league out of Ohio State, but the best one Chicago has seen since Sid Luckman played 70 years ago. Time will tell, of course, but the beginning looks pretty good so far.
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