There is little excitement for the upcoming 2022 season for the Chicago Bears, as they are expected to be one of the worst teams in the NFL due to their roster rebuild. First-year head coach Matt Eberflus is expected to develop a core of players to build Chicago’s future, with quarterback Justin Fields the most important player. There is heavy intrigue for Fields’ sophomore season, and former Bears’ first-round quarterback Mitchell Trubisky proves why signifcant growth should be expected in 2022.

Trubisky Made Significant Growth As A Quarterback From 2017 To 2018

The Bears drafted Trubisky second overall in the 2017 NFL Draft as his rookie season was very similar to Fields in 2022. Both rookie quarterbacks started their first seasons as Chicago’s second-string quarterbacks behind free-agent veteran quarterbacks serving as bridges for when the younger quarterbacks were ready. Trubisky and Fields also spent their rookie seasons playing under head coaches that were at risk of being fired if the Bears didn’t perform. John Fox and Matt Nagy were both fired at the end of their rookie quarterbacks’ first season as many questioned whether or not they were suitable head coaches to develop the first-round talents.

In Trubisky’s rookie season of 2017, he would make his NFL debut starting in a Week 5 game against the Minnesota Vikings. He would be the Bears’ starting quarterback for the remainder of the season, starting 12 games and finished with a 4-8 record. Trubisky passed for seven touchdowns and seven interceptions while recording only three games of 250 passing yards or more.

The biggest takeaway from Trubisky’s rookie season is that he demonstrated potential promise as a quarterback as his play improved as the season went on, but that he needed to improve his deep ball accuracy and ability to handle more complex passing plays. The rookie quarterback from North Carolina was limited to short throws constantly coming off boot-leg passing plays during his rookie season with the Bears. Trubisky’s deep ball accuracy struggles were extremely noticeable as he completed three throws of 25 yards or longer.

What a rookie season!@Mtrubisky10's top 5 plays of the season! pic.twitter.com/GOhwapu7sz

— NFL UK (@NFLUK) April 9, 2018

The Bears would hire Matt Nagy as their head coach in January of 2018, replacing the fired Fox. The team’s goal was to have Nagy oversee Trubisky’s development into an elite quarterback. Despite heavily struggling in 2019 and 2020 with Chicago’s former head coach, the 2018 season with Nagy remains the year of Trubisky’s NFL career. He instantly improved on his weaknesses from his rookie year, including deep ball accuracy and being able to handle more advanced passing plays.

In 2018, Trubisky had a pass completion of 30-yards or longer in seven games while passing for over 300 yards in four games. Chicago’s quarterback would throw 24 touchdown passes and rush for three during the Bears’ 2018 season, which resulted in an NFC North Division championship. Trubisky’s season was so successful that he was named to the Pro Bowl as an alternate and became the first Chicago quarterback to make the Pro Bowl since Jim McMahon in 2018.

Mitchell Trubisky turns 25 today 🎉

How will #10 follow up his 2018 season, when he posted the 3rd best QB rating in #Bears franchise history? pic.twitter.com/yRYRmclZUu

— Bears Talk (@NBCSBears) August 20, 2019

Justin Fields Is In the Same Position To Have Success In 2022

Last season, Fields made his first start as Bears’ quarterback in Week 3 against the Cleveland Brown in a game where he was sacked nine times during a 26-6 loss. Similar to Trubisky’s rookie season, Chicago’s first-round quarterback would start 12 games in 2021. During Fields’ 12 starts, he passed for seven touchdowns to ten interceptions. Although Fields’ deep-ball accuracy improved during the season, he struggled to protect the ball and failed to successful read opposing defenses.

FUMBLEEEEE 🗣

The Vikings force an early Justin Fields turnover 😤

(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/xz9oKXfoCn

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) December 21, 2021

Along with Fields’ ten interceptions, he also recorded 12 fumbles, four of which were lost to the defense. Although the Ohio State quarterback flashed elite potential at the quarterback position for the Bears’ in 2021, he failed to consistently lead the offense on sustained offensive drives resulting in points. In Fields’ 12 starts last season, there was only one game where the offense scored more than three touchdowns.

Although a majority of Fields’ struggles and the Bears’ overall offensive struggles were the result of Nagy’s play designs, there is hope that he can improve with new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s new play-book. Getsy comes over from Green Bay, where he served as the Packers quarterbacks’ coach for the last three seasons. Chicago’s new offense is is built around the strengths of Fields, something that Nagy’s offense wasn’t in 2021. Getsy’s new offense for Chicago will be run-heavy while featuring passing plays similar to the San Francisco 49ers offense with head coach Kyle Shanahan.

Shanahan’s offense relies on boot-leg passing plays with pre-snap motions from wide receivers and running backs. The goal is to cut the field in half for the quarterback while giving him an option to pass or run. Getsy’s new offense will fit Fields perfectly as the second-year passer is a dual-threat quarterback capable of making plays with both his arm and feet.

It is clear what the #Bears are asking of Justin Fields this year.

Learn how to play the position more efficiently.

Speed up his operation.

Protect himself.

They feel a more cohesive scheme, run-first approach, and still okay defense can help.

— Erik Lambert (@ErikLambert1) May 21, 2022

The goal for Fields in 2022 needs to be an improvement around protecting the ball while also leading Chicago’s offense on more scoring drives. Getsy’s offense should enable his second-year quarterback, as a commitment to the running game and a passing game featuring a moving pocket will cut down on potential sacks and tackle for losses. Fields is viewed as having more upside than Trubisky and will have the chance to take the same, if not a more prominent jump in development in the upcoming season.