The Justin Fields criticism during the off-season was interesting. It seemed to have a clear dividing line. Some looked at his rough rookie season as evidence he isn’t cut out for the NFL. Others believe he was and will continue to be held back by a mediocre supporting cast. That is why nobody thinks the Chicago Bears quarterback will take any noticeable step forward in 2022. Too many factors are working against him.
Jeff Howe of The Athletic surveyed several top NFL executives and head coaches on multiple subjects. One of the biggest was which 2021 quarterbacks would have the best season. Most agreed it would be Trevor Lawrence in Jacksonville with Mac Jones in New England behind him. Where it got crazy was seeing Zach Wilson from New York get four votes. Fields got zero. That isn’t the interesting part. What stuck out was how positive voters were on the player himself. He wasn’t the reason they didn’t vote for him. They think he is capable of big things.
It comes down to whether he gets any help.
The voters liked what they saw out of Fields’ 10 starts, as well as his tenure at Ohio State.
“I think Justin Fields is going to be a very good player,” a voter said.
But the Bears are clearly in the early stages of a rebuild.
“Not enough talent around Fields,” another voter observed.
A different voter added, “I’d like to say Justin Fields, but he doesn’t have as good of an offensive line or enough receivers.”
Justin Fields is eager to prove people wrong.
Not about him, mind you. That’s the funny part. He wants to show everybody they’re wrong about his teammates. He believes the Bears have more talent of offense than they get credit for. His statement isn’t entirely false, either. Darnell Mooney had 1,000 yards last season. Cole Kmet cracked 600. David Montgomery is a solid, dependable running back. Cody Whitehair and Lucas Patrick were decent interior blockers. Combine that with a far more cohesive system under Luke Getsy, and he should improve.
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Nobody is saying he’ll set the world on fire. That is unrealistic. Still, his steady improvement in the preseason offers hope he is on the right track. The talent isn’t in question. He has every trait a team could want. His work ethic is obsessive. The mechanics appear to have improved. Truth be told, the league-wide pessimism is a blessing in disguise. Without the burden of elevated expectations, he has a chance just to go out and play.
Justin Fields will set the world on fire. There, somebody said it . He has great teammates and coaches and he will make them awesome .
More of who gives a hoot what people who don’t know – don’t know?
I’m enjoying the negativity. Especially from guys like Cowherd, who actually said Poles isn’t rebuilding the team correctly. Quick! Someone hire Cowherd as a GM so we can all see how it’s supposed to be done! Or Orlovsky who might still be trying to find the back of the end zone. I love it. It will make the Bears revenge so much sweeter.
slightly off topic…. but please for ALL that is holy, justin…. SLIDE like the rest of the QB(s). Sliding in a seated position is inviting defenders to T off. 15 yards isn’t worth you getting your BELL rung!!
pleaseeeeeeeeeeee… stay healthy.
yes the bears are rebuilding and they are doing a great job with GM and Couch working together and doing a great job together. So I can’t wait for everyone to eat their
words