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That’s one hefty chunk of change. When new Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields fell out of the top three picks down to No. 11 overall in the NFL Draft, he lost just over $15 million, per Brad Spielberger, a salary cap analyst for Pro Football Focus.
According to Spielberger, Fields is looking at a four-year contract with $18.872 million fully guaranteed, which is a bargain for the Bears.
“He’s a complete quarterback that has a ton of intangibles,” Bears head coach Matt Nagy said about Fields after moving up in the draft to select him. “He’s a threat every time the football is in his hands as a passer and a runner, but yet he makes really good decisions. He’s played in big-time moments. He’s one of the toughest quarterbacks — and I’ve been around a lot of tough quarterbacks — but he’s definitely up there in regards to his experience at the college level, and I think he hangs his hat on that.”
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If Fields Pans Out, Bears Are Getting Tremendous Value
Nagy has already made it clear Fields will not start next season; veteran Andy Dalton will. But it’s clear the Bears coach is smitten with his new QB. “As we all grow with him, I think we’re gonna sense that he really has a little bit of that ‘it’ factor to him, too, which is neat. That has to come naturally to everybody. Some have it, some don’t, and I think that, for him, it’s gonna be exciting for him to just come in here and learn how to be a professional quarterback. It’s not gonna happen overnight,” Nagy said.
“He’s gonna be able to learn from great coaches and from great players,” Nagy added. “That’s the part of Justin is that he’s super mature, he’s very focused, but he’s competitive as hell. Sometimes that pushes people. I think it certainly pushes him, but he does it in a respectful way and he’s had a lot of success doing it.”
Perhaps losing out on $15.2 million dollars after 10 other teams passed on him will provide some additional motivation, as well.
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Pre-Draft Rumors May Have Hurt Fields’ Draft Stock
Weeks prior to the draft, Fields dealt with unfounded criticisms about his work ethic and love of the game, and the fact that he has been living with epilepsy since middle school was also leaked.
“I really can’t do anything about it, there were some things that of course weren’t true,” Fields said when asked about the pre-draft criticism. “At this point — for me at least — the draft is over and my focus now is turning to how can I help the Chicago Bears win, so I’m not really worried about what was said in the past. That’s all said and done with, so I’m here now and I’m worried about the present.”
Will the cut in pay motivate the young quarterback down the line? The Bears and their fans certainly hope so.
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