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Justin Fields wasn’t able to lead the Chicago Bears to a victory over the NFL’s best team on Sunday, but he earned massive respect from some of the Philadelphia Eagles’ top players for his toughness and overall performance.
Fields finished 14-of-21 passing with 152 yards and two touchdowns in the Bears’ 25-20 loss to the Eagles in Week 15, adding another 95 yards on the ground that allowed him to break another franchise record and eclipse 1,000 rushing yards on the season.
Fields also helped keep Chicago in the game late into the fourth quarter despite taking six sacks on the day, a few of which saw defenders go almost entirely unblocked. At one point, he even had to go into the locker room for a hydration IV due to cramping, but he returned for the next drive and led the Bears downfield for a final touchdown.
It was the type of performance that has Eagles star cornerback Darius Slay convinced that Fields is “special” and will have a “great future” with the Bears moving forward.
“When he gets in the open field, he can make you miss and he can run past you, so he’s a big threat, man,” Slay told reporters after the game, via James Palmer of NFL Network. “Chicago’s got great upside coming from him, man. They’re going to have a great future with him. Man, he’s special. He’s a highlight film for real, man. Kid’s tough. Kid gets hit a lot, gets up and keeps going. He had cramps, went in [to the locker room] and came back in [for] the two-minute drive and scored. So that’s a real tough guy, man.”
Slay Wowed by Fields’ Strength Under Pressure
The highlight of the day for Fields was his 39-yard scramble run on 2nd-and-27 in the second quarter that nearly turned into the Bears’ first touchdown, if not for him stepping out at the 9-yard line. Chicago was able to capitalize on the very next play with a David Montgomery touchdown run that put them ahead 6-3, but it wouldn’t have been possible had Fields not dodged, juked and outrun numerous Eagles, including Haason Reddick — who Fields threw off of him while in the pocket.
“He does that a lot,” Slay said. “He’s a big guy. He’s got to be deadlifting or squatting 600 pounds, just like [Jalen] Hurts. Because he’s the only guy I’ve seen swinging folks off like that, so it’s gotta be like 600 pounds of deadlifting.”
For Bears fans who have already turned their attention beyond the 2022 season, there should be some validation in hearing one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks compare Fields to the current MVP frontrunner. After all, Fields is walking a similar path to Hurts — whose first two seasons were polluted with doubt and skepticism — as a young quarterback trying to find his way for a rebuilding franchise.
Now, the Bears just need to follow the Eagles’ lead and go to war this offseason trying to secure the best possible support staff they can for their quarterback.
Fields Not Looking to Rush for 1,000 Yards Every Season
Fields crossed another milestone in Sunday’s loss to the Eagles, joining Lamar Jackson (2019, 2020) and Michael Vick (2006) as the only quarterbacks to ever rush for 1,000 yards in a season. With his 39-yard run in the second quarter, he also broke Bobby Douglass’ franchise record for most rushing yards (968) by a Bears quarterback.
Fields, however, has absolutely no intentions of making 1,000-yard rushing seasons a regular thing for the remainder of his NFL career.
“No sir, I don’t plan on rushing for 1,000 yards every year,” Fields said in the postgame. “Like I said, it’s an honor and it’s a blessing from God. I couldn’t do it without my coaches and teammates.”
That said, Fields could still set his sights on another record before the 2022 season wraps. Jackson holds the NFL record for single-season quarterback rushing yards, but the Bears quarterback can pass him if he averages a little less than 70 yards per contest over the final three games of the season. That’s definitely attainable considering Fields has rushed for at least 70 yards in six of his 13 starts this season.
“I’m already deep into this year, so I might as well try to go get that record,” Fields said. “I think I need, what, 206? So, three games left? That’s about 70 yards per game, but we’ll see what happens.”
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