Getty Bears quarterback Justin Fields.
Officials around the NFL might not be sold on Justin Fields’ abilities to grow into a better pocket passer, but the Chicago Bears do not seem to share the same concerns about their franchise quarterback heading into 2023.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, there is “skepticism that still exists among team officials around the league” about Fields and his ongoing development with the Bears, raising questions about whether the 2021 first-rounder can “get it done” as a pocket passer. He added, though, that Chicago not only believes in him but also considers him to be one of the few players in the league who can “elevate an entire team” with his play.
“Well Max [Kellerman], that very point you just made about Fields keeping the Bears in games they had no business being in, that exact same point was made by somebody in the organization that I spoke directly to. They said that only certain players in this league have the ability to elevate an entire team; Fields is one of them,” Fowler said during his May 9 guest appearance on ESPN’s This Just In with Max Kellerman.
Now, there is still some skepticism that exists among some team officials around the league about his ability to get it done as a pocket passer. Can he be that precision guy that you need from the pocket? Those questions are not going away until he proves otherwise, but the Bears believe he is on the right track and believe the upgrades on the offensive line will help him along in a big way.”
Bears Feel Justin Fields is ‘Light-Years Ahead’ of 2022
GettyBears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy believes Justin Fields is ‘light-years ahead’ of where he was in 2022.
The Bears have been indirectly expressing their confidence in Fields for the past several months with their approach to the 2023 offseason. They insisted upon getting a new No. 1 wide receiver for him in their trade-down from the No. 1 overall pick, adding D.J. Moore in the asset-heavy exchange with the Carolina Panthers. They also made two significant investments in their offensive line, signing right guard Nate Davis to a three-year, $30 million contract and using the No. 10 pick on right tackle Darnell Wright.
Most notably, perhaps, was the Bears shooting down the prospect of drafting a new quarterback with the top pick in the draft to potentially replace Fields. While general manager Ryan Poles did leave the door open in case one of the 2023 rookies blew them away in their evaluations, it has become clear in the way he and other members of the Bears staff have talked about Fields that replacing him was never a big consideration.
The Bears, in their eyes, are also already starting to see their faith rewarded based on how they have been charting Fields’ growth throughout the 2023 offseason.
“The other thing is, as we evaluated Justin from last year I think the growth from … where he was at this time last year to where he is now, I think he’s just light-years ahead of where he was, and I feel like he has a ton more to grow going forward,” Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy told media on May 6 during rookie minicamp. “So we’re excited to try to get the best out of him moving forward and keep working toward where we think he can go.”
Justin Fields Has Honed Mental Side of Playing QB
Justin Fields is heading into his second season as the Bears’ full-time starter.
After Getsy made his “light-years ahead” comment, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer says he “went looking for a little context” on the specific areas in which Fields has been showing growth and uncovered that a lot of what has been wowing the Bears is mental.
“Tangibly, it should show up with the mental work he’s done to improve his command at the line of scrimmage — in changing protections and making adjustments within the offense,” Breer wrote in his May 9 MMQB column for Sports Illustrated. “He’s made the comment to the coaches over the last couple of weeks that he could never have had the conversations with them last year that he’s having now, which is a great sign for where they are collectively.”
No doubt, a faster processor and a better understanding of the offense can be a major asset for Fields in 2023. The timing of his throws, the decision-making under pressure, the adjustments he makes to avoid letting his protection get exploited — most fans and analysts would agree these are all areas where the Bears need to see growth from Fields during the 2023 season, and all of them are tied to the mental side of the game.
Now, Fields just needs to prove he can marry the mental with the physical and show what he’s learned on the field once the Bears dive into their OTA practices on May 22.