Getty Justin Fields has already endeared himself in a big way in Chicago.
If you’re a fan of the Chicago Bears, either way you slice it, the latest report coming from NFL insider Albert Breer is positive.
In his September 6 MMQB column for Sports Illustrated, Breer spoke to Bears head coach Matt Nagy about the team’s situation at quarterback heading into the 2021 season. Nagy once again confirmed the team’s plans: Veteran Andy Dalton will be starting, while rookie first-round pick Justin Fields will back him up.
“He’s passed that test,” Nagy told Breer about Fields. “We went through that in OTAs, and once he got to training camp, he put in a lot of work into trying to understand the formations and understand the motions and shifts, understand the concepts. He got over the hurdle of just memorizing and now he speaks to people. That part, there’s always a play or two where you might have a little difficulty, but he’s done a great job with that. That’s not a concern.”
Then, Breer revealed a few things that should delight Bears fans everywhere.
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Breer Has Encouraging Words for
After the Bears’ three preseason contests concluded, the calls for Fields to start over Dalton became resounding, as many fans and analysts felt Fields was the clear choice to be the team’s starter based on their performance in those three games alone:
Matt Nagy named Andy Dalton the Week 1 starter…
their final preseason pass attempt of 2021:
Andy Dalton vs Justin Fields
Breer then shared an encouraging reminder for those who are hoping that Fields plays sooner rather than later:
We all know that whether it’s later this month or next year, Fields’s time is eventually coming—and his play over the last month has done nothing to make anyone question that. And it’s understandable that Bears fans want that time to come sooner rather than later. History, too, suggests it will. Over the 13 draft cycles from 2008 to ’20, 39 quarterbacks went in the first round, and just three … were truly redshirted. So maybe we’ll see Fields soon. Maybe we won’t. Much, that same history will tell us, rides on the Bears’ place in the playoff race—it’s no mistake that those three redshirts played for teams that contended. So, again, the good news for Bears fans is either the team will be really good, or Fields will probably play.
That’s really what it comes down to. If Dalton performs well, the Bears will likely be winning games. If he doesn’t, Fields will get the nod.
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Nagy: ‘Bears Brass Feels Stronger About Fields’ Now Than on Draft Day
Nagy, who is entering his fourth season, also had some telling comments when Breer asked how Fields is viewed within the Bears’ organization.
“When I asked Nagy if the Bears brass feels stronger about Fields,” Breer wrote, “Having taken him 11th, now than in April, he didn’t skip a beat. ‘Oh, hell yeah,’ Nagy said, laughing. ‘Oh yeah.'”
It’s clear the Bears don’t regret sending the No. 20 overall pick along with a 2021 fifth-rounder (164th overall) and 2022 first- and fourth-round picks in exchange for their future at the position. And while he may not be starting immediately, it’s only a matter of time.
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