Justin Fields has heard the talk about his wide receivers — and he’s having none of it.
The second-year quarterback for the Chicago Bears knows better than anyone who he’s throwing to this upcoming season, and in an interview with Scott Polacek of Bleacher Report, the 23-year-old quarterback got candid about his wide receiving corps.
The Bears have been widely criticized for not surrounding the second-year signal-caller with more weapons at receiver, particularly after top wideout Allen Robinson left in free agency.
Chicago drafted Velus Jones Jr. out of Tennessee in the third round, but the other additions the team has made at the position this offseason, including Byron Pringle, Equanimeous St. Brown, Tajae Sharpe and Dante Pettis, aren’t going to set off any alarms for opposing defenses. Fields thinks that could change.
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Fields: I Have Confidence in My Teammates
The young QB noted that while there aren’t any marquee names in the Bears’ wide receivers room, if everyone is on the same page and comes to play, the group should be fine.
“We don’t have an Odell [Beckham Jr.] or a Cooper Kupp on our team, but at the end of the day I think if everybody is on their P’s and Q’s, and we’re on top of everything and not making mistakes, the players we have right now are good enough,” Fields told Bleacher Report, adding:
“The front office thinks that, too. The fans outside of the facility, they don’t know what’s going on at practice. Just because we don’t have a big-name guy, doesn’t mean those guys aren’t talented. I have plenty of confidence in myself and my teammates that we’re going to get the job done.”
Fields also had glowing things to say about the team’s new group of coaches.
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Fields: ‘Awesome’ Working With New Regime
“It’s been awesome,” Fields said about working with the likes of new head coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, among others. “They’re great coaches, of course, but also great people. We spent a little bit of time together; we actually went golfing together. Just kind of getting to know those guys away from the facility and getting to know them more on a personal level was awesome.”
The young quarterback also took time to praise a few of his receivers individually, including his likely WR1, Darnell Mooney. “He’s fast and has great hands,” Fields said about Mooney. “On top of that, he works harder than anybody I know other than myself. A couple nights ago, we were in the facility until 12:30 a.m. going through plays and walking through plays for the next day at practice.”
Mooney, who is entering Year 3, was Fields’ top target last season, finishing with 81 catches, 1,055 receiving yards and four touchdowns, per PFR.
The Bears QB also likes what he had seen from the rookie Jones.
“He’s going to pick up a lot of yards and is physical,” Fields told Polacek about Jones. “He’s almost like a running back at receiver. Having him on the outside and putting the ball in his hands and letting him work will be great.”
We’ll have to wait until the regular season to see if Mooney can cement his status as WR1, as well as how much Jones will contribute to the offense, but Fields has a great deal of confidence in his young weapons — and that may be the most important thing.
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Justin Fields Has Strong Words About Bears WR Situation