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The Chicago Bears put on the pads in practice for the first time on August 3, and it didn’t take long for rookie quarterback Justin Fields to wow fans and analysts in attendance. While the 22-year-old signal-caller has made his share of mistakes so far in training camp, he’s also showing flashes of what made him one of the top QB prospects this year, including an impressive long ball that went viral in a hurry.
First shared on Twitter by Braggs in the Stands, a video featuring Fields throwing an approximately 45-yard bomb to wide receiver Rodney Adams — who made a nice grab — began to circulate widely, and it has Bears fans full of hype.
The response to Fields’ dynamic toss was uniformly positive. Here’s a small sample:
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Fields Already Learning Bears’ Pass Concepts
Fields already seems to be digesting his first NFL playbook with ease. When asked what part of his transition to the NFL has been easiest for him so far, he didn’t hesitate. “The easiest thing I would say is the pass concepts,” Fields said August 2.
“We had a lot of the same at Ohio State. So the pass concepts for sure. And then I would say the hardest thing is just literally saying the play in the huddle. In college we got the play from the sidelines and we would get signals. So some of our play calls are longer than others. That’s why at night, the night before practice we get out scripts and I just go through all our calls and really just try to say it to myself. That way when I actually do get in the huddle at practice, I’m able to spit it out quick.”
The rookie signal-caller also noted his comfort level is at an all-time high in head coach Matt Nagy’s offense.
“I’ve just gotten more comfortable,” Fields added. “Just spending more time in the playbook, spending more time with the coaches. I think just kind of going back to studying the first installs we did at rookie mini-camp and stuff like that. I’ve just gotten more comfortable with the plays and with the offense. And instead of trying to remember the play call in the huddle, I actually picture it in my head so I actually can like see the play call when I’m saying it to the other guys.”
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Nagy Impressed With Fields’ Command, Work in Huddle
The Bears head coach is also loving what he’s seeing from Fields. “I think he really has the huddle part down in regards to calling the plays,” Nagy said on August 2 about Fields’ progress.
“He sees the play when he calls it — he doesn’t just read the play now. He’s past that,” Nagy added. “So you can check that one off. He’s got to continue to do that. Now, it’s going to be going through his progressions post-snap. Things change, right? Disguised coverages. They hide their blitzes. Knowing where your protection calls are, being on the same page as the center. That’s where I think now, when things get real and you start putting the pads on and the tempo picks up and you’re playing, now we want to see him execute plays and play fast. That’s probably the biggest thing.”
He’s certain to have his ups and downs, but it’s plays like his strike to Adams that have Bears fans excited for the 2021 season — and beyond.
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