Justin Jones Played With Great QBs. So His Fields Comments Were Interesting

Justin Jones was a 3rd round pick of the Los Angeles Chargers in 2018. That first season was spent watching the greatest QB in franchise history, Philip Rivers make his last Pro Bowl. Two years later, the ageless veteran was gone and replaced by a young gun named Justin Herbert. He had one of the best rookie seasons in NFL history in 2020 and made the Pro Bowl himself for the first time last year. Many already consider him among the five best quarterbacks in the NFL.

So it’s safe to say Jones understands what good quarterbacks are supposed to look like. That is why it was interesting to hear his comments when asked about his early impressions of Justin Fields. The defensive tackle recognizes that his new QB isn’t the same type of player as his old one. Two things have stood out early in practices. One is Fields’ leadership. His command of the huddle and the line of scrimmage is strong. There is no tentativeness like last year. The second is his pacing. Everything is quicker, from his reads to his drops to his throws.

Justin Jones isn’t the first to notice those things.

Head coach Matt Eberflus mentioned something similar during his presser as well. The footwork is much smoother, and his timing is better. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko have done a good job helping Fields improve those areas. Signs of progress were indeed noticeable on Monday when the offense reeled off 11 chunk plays through the air, including several from Fields.

Progress was always going to take time, but it sounds like the QB is figuring things out. The trick is learning how to do it from muscle memory. Once that happens, everything becomes easier. Justin Jones and the rest of the defense will make him work hard, finding different ways to stress him through pressure and scheming. That should only make Fields better. If Jones is correct, then the Bears quarterback will take a big step forward in 2022.