All-Pro Justin Fields? Former Quarterback Says Book It

Justin Fields is in a weird purgatory for quarterbacks right now. Nobody can consider him a bust. He had one of the greatest rushing seasons in NFL history last year. However, many experts aren't ready to call him a good quarterback. Much of that has to do with his pedestrian passing numbers from last season. Averaging 149 yards per game with 17 TDs and 11 interceptions isn't the kind of efficiency or explosiveness necessary to win games. Many wonder if Fields has the processing speed and anticipation ever to become effective from the pocket in this league.

Not everybody is down on him, though. Plenty of people who have worked or played in the NFL remain steadfast in believing 2023 will be a much better season for him. One of them is David Carr. The former quarterback and current NFL Network analyst spoke on The Dan Patrick Show. He was asked a simple question. What is something odd or unexpected that could happen this season? Carr didn't even pause long to think about it. He thinks the Bears can win the division and went so far as to say Fields will silence doubters in a big way.

Such thinking on Justin Fields isn't crazy.

Sure, he might not be the premier pocket passer of some other quarterbacks. Yet he still made progress last season under tough circumstances. Don't forget through the first seven games, he had five touchdown passes and six interceptions. Over the remaining eight games, he had 12 touchdowns and five interceptions. Sure, the yards weren't quite there, but it was an undeniable improvement. All of this was accomplished during his first year in a challenging offensive system with limited help around him.

Both of those problems have changed. Chase Claypool, D.J. Moore, and Robert Tonyan have arrived in the past six months to provide firepower in the passing game. This will also be Justin Fields' second year in the same offense for the first time since college. That familiarity has led to far better execution in training camp. Everybody says he's in greater command of the system than at any point last season. Maybe All-Pro feels out of reach, but what Carr says isn't outlandish. If Fields' passing ability can creep up to complement his running prowess, this will be a quarterback nobody wants to play.