Well, long time no see, huh?!
It has roughly been a solid three months since I have written an article for my website, something that I never envisioned would happen. However, a semester straight from hell and my job at school halted any work I possibly wanted to get done. I had plenty of ideas in mind, such as a Mitch Trubisky departure and Aaron Rodgers MVP article, among others. Still, I always had to contemplate either doing my school work or work on articles.
Wisely, I chose school work, but I was upset at myself for not getting more articles out like how I wanted to. Now, the semester is thankfully over with. Although I will be taking three classes over the summer, I am eagerly hoping to get more of my work out there.
So what have we missed since my last article? Well, Tom Brady won his seventh Super Bowl ring, his first outside of New England. My favorite Quarterback ever, Drew Brees, retired from the league. The Houston Texans are a dumpster fire with Defensive End JJ Watt’s departure and the scandal surrounding Quarterback Deshaun Watson. And the Green Bay Packers are scarcely wondering if their MVP Quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, will play for them in 2021. There has been plenty of news around the league, so what about the Chicago Bears?
At first, it was all crickets, as it felt like the Chicago Bears had the most boring, disappointing offseason you could ask for. All headlined by the failure to miraculously land Seattle Seahawks Quarterback Russell Wilson and settle for Andy Dalton instead. Uncertainty and dread floated around the Bears organization, as there was seemingly nothing to be excited about for their 2021 campaign.
Then, the NFL Draft happened, where the Bears stunned the football world by landing Ohio State Quarterback Justin Fields.
In this article, I will discuss how the Bears were somehow able to land Fields, what he brings to the table, how fans should shine their expectations on him, and how I think the team should handle him heading into the year.
If you haven't already, please feel free to check out my introduction article, I had a blast putting it together. You will get to know more about me, my background, and my plans for this website here:
No, It Was Not A Dream
It actually happened, folks. Even after weeks since the draft festivities, I still find it hard to believe myself; the Chicago Bears landed Justin Fields.
Friends still come up to me (and vice versa) asking, “what do you think about Justin Fields?” and you cannot help but feel excited and celebrate at the fact of our team drafting him. At one of the most hopeless points towards the team I can recall, something suddenly went our way for once in our lives. But it took a mix of luck and sheer guts from the general manager Ryan Pace to pull off such a move.
I never imagined the Bears could trade up successfully and draft a Quarterback (emphasis on the word “successfully”) in this year’s draft. I expected all the top Quarterbacks to be gone in the top ten, and we would have to sell the farm to even think of getting in there. The Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets, and San Francisco 49ers predictably went with a Quarterback in the draft’s first three selections. However, I surely expected Fields and Alabama’s Mac Jones to be selected by either the Atlanta Falcons (4th overall), Detroit Lions (7th overall), Carolina Panthers (8th overall), Denver Broncos (9th overall), or another team, such as the New England Patriots, that had a better shot of trading up.
Well, none of those remaining teams took a Quarterback as Fields and Jones continued to slip. Bears fans knew that the stars were starting to align and that we might have a shot at one of them. Then, the New York Giants were on the clock at 11th overall when, suddenly, there was a trade alert that popped up on the screen. I remember jumping out of my seat, saying to myself that it HAS to be New England. Thankfully, I was wrong, as a shade of orange flowed through, and it was revealed that the Bears traded up. I went berserk, Facetime'd my friends, and ran downstairs to see my roommates. The Bears would then make their selection, and I will let the video of me below explain everything.
You might be wondering, how on earth did he fall to 11th overall? Well, I am among the majority of football fans that are still trying to answer that question. There were vocal concerns about his love for the game and his battle with epilepsy. However, the love for the game concern is a pile of crap to me, and Fields said he was diagnosed with epilepsy in ninth grade, and that has no effect on his football abilities.
Of course, Fields will have his weaknesses to work on. But most people considered Fields to be the best Quarterback in this draft not named Trevor Lawrence. We may not figure out how exactly he fell far for a while, but I sure feel damn thankful that such a scenario fell into the Bears’ favor.
What Fields Brings To The Table
Please do not be fooled by him falling to the 11th overall pick. Justin Fields is an absolute baller and should have been selected higher in the draft.
First, let us start with the fact that he was a two-year starter at a significant school such as Ohio State (not including his freshman year at Georgia). He only lost two games in those two years, once each season, and they were each in the College Football Playoffs. Sure, he could have possibly lost another game or two with the Big Ten Conference playing less games this past year due to COVID. However, Justin Fields was one of the main influences in pushing for the Big Ten to play this past year, so they may not have played at all this past year without him.
Next, he is the whole package as far as ability and skills are concerned. Immediately, he has become one of the best deep ball passers I have seen out of a top Quarterback prospect. He can make any throw from any direction and angle around the field with seemingly little to no difficulty. He is also one of the best athletes as a Quarterback that you could ask for. In his two years at Ohio State, he racked up 867 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns. Being a lethal weapon with both his arms and legs while standing at 6’3”, 230 lbs frame should pose as a scary thought for any opposition.
Finally, if there is anything that I have learned the most from Fields, his mental makeup seems second to none. Whether you watch him in current or old videos, he appears to be relatively quiet and calm. Fields was a star throughout his whole life, as he was a top high school recruit and then a top college prospect. Pressure and attention have been forced onto Fields more than most individuals. However, as he stated himself, he believes he was made for the spotlight, which certainly shows.
Justin Fields Rushing Past A Clemson Defender In The 2021 Sugar Bowl
(Credit: The Salt Lake Tribune)
Best of all, according to former Quarterback (once Chicago Bear) Mark Sanchez, Justin Fields posted the highest recording score of all time on a psychologist-ran mental aptitude test. This has been a test conducted since 2012 and ran over thousands of athletes. Again, Fields scored the highest ever, which (for context) is higher than Kansas City Chiefs almighty Quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
He is a proven winner with experience at a top college program, mercilessly skilled as a passer and rusher with tremendous size, and has an excellent mental makeup. The Chicago Bears got this guy at 11 overall; there still cannot be any way possible this is real.
QB1 or QB2?
It is beyond easy to get caught in the hype and excitement. When have we, as Bears fans, ever thought this would happen to us? Never, we have every right to be excited.
However, at the same time, please keep things fair for Fields this year.
There is a heavy debate that has taken over Bears fans’ lives: Should Justin Fields start week one? Guys, we just started rookie mini-camp; let him breathe for god’s sake. We still have a long way to go before we even get meaningful reps and action to witness Fields and the team.
The team signed Andy Dalton in March and pegged him as the “QB1” over Twitter (shown below). Now, we all knew that could have been a load of crap, but even after the Fields selection, Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy reaffirmed their commitment to Dalton starting week one.
(Credit: thecomeback.com)
Is it an ideal situation with Dalton? No, fans had every right to be disappointed and upset with the Dalton signing; lord knows I was. But, despite the disappointment, we must keep in mind the importance of not rushing Fields too soon.
Of course, we have this year to anticipate and think about with Fields, but what about the long-term? Would if we rush him in a little too early? The absolute last thing any fan would want to see from the Bears is to ruin his development. Cause I know for a fact that if the Bears do rush him in too early and Fields does not pan out, fans and media alike will go, “hEy, WhY dId ThE bEaRs NoT SiT HiM uNtiL hE wAs ReAdY, tHeY rUiNeD hIm!” I can smell hypocrisy from a mile away if that ever comes to fruition, and I do not want myself or anyone else alike to fall victim to that.
Again Dalton, nor Nick Foles (who we cannot forget about) are ideal, but they should serve as decent bridge Quarterbacks until Fields proves ready. And who knows? Maybe Fields indeed proves he is prepared early in the season or even before that? Thankfully, unlike last year, we will have a mini camp, a training camp, and a preseason to have Fields and the team have time to develop and learn as athletes. As with anything, I say all of this with a genuine “as of now.” Anything can change from now until the season nears closer, as I could be eventually pulling for Fields to start by week one for all I know.
We all want to see Fields play and succeed ASAP, but we want him to succeed now AND for the future. That means we need to see him properly develop so the Bears can maximize his learning and potential to their best abilities. Of course, the one caveat/opposing argument of pushing for Fields to start soon is the fact Pace and Nagy’s jobs are on the line. Even then, I still believe (again, as of now), I am afraid of the likely irreversible outcome of the team potentially rushing Fields too early.
We Finally Have Something To Look Forward To This Year
Name one thing you were genuinely excited about for the Bears heading into 2021.
That is right, nothing.
There are a few minor factors, such as the rise of Roquan Smith as one of the league’s premier Inside Linebackers. Running Back David Montgomery potentially backing up a strong 2020. Also, another campaign of Edge Rusher Khalil Mack that fans would have looked forward to. But none were enough for fans to have hope towards the team overall, as it was fair to expect another mediocre-at-best season from them.
However, the fortunes that occurred in the 2021 NFL Draft can change the franchise and then some. I do not need to remind you about the Quarterback history of this 102-year-old organization, but no one had any clue when the Bears would ever take their next Quarterback of the future. Nevertheless, who could have imagined we would take one with this much hope and excitement. We traded up to select Mitch Trubisky in 2017, and the feelings between then and now seem to be complete opposites.
Personally, one of the most intriguing parts of the whole Justin Fields selection is that the Bears are on what seems to be the better side of the story. Unlike in 2017, we are the team that did not pass on the more popular choice(s) at Quarterback. We are the ones that choose the Quarterback who waited longer than expected and will have a noticeable chip on his shoulder. If the Bears took Mac Jones over Fields instead, I do not want to envision the riots that would have occurred within the city.
But, we did it, Bears fans; we got the type of player we always dreamt for. There were minimal-to-no expectations heading into the year, as the franchise seemed like it was slowly dying in front of our very eyes. Suddenly, the move to grab Justin Fields provided a colossal injection of hope, one that we wish could propel the team towards a playoff berth in 2021.
Justin Fields' Name Appearing After His Selection At The NFL Draft In Cleveland, Ohio
(Credit: Bleacher Report)
As of now, we have no clue when Fields may make his professional debut. I am in full support of having him sit back and learn from veterans like Dalton and Foles. But one (including myself) cannot be oblivious that Fields has more talent than the two veterans ahead of him. Also, if the team gets off to a rough start, Pace and Nagy may have to throw Fields into the fire in hopes of him rescuing their jobs and the franchise altogether.
No matter what, we have something significant to look forward to heading into the year. The buzz surrounding the team should only increase as training camp and preseason games pass by. Please take time to celebrate and be happy with the Bears, as we know how rare that is. All I ask is to please celebrate responsibly, do not expect the world out of Fields too soon or until proven otherwise.
If you read through this whole article, pat yourself on the back because you are a gem. While you are at it, please feel free to let me know what you think and tap the heart icon at the bottom, if you wish.
Thank you and Bear Down!