Justin Fields made headlines over the past week when eagle-eyed fans noticed he had unfollowed the Chicago Bears on Instagram. That clearly indicated that things between the two sides weren't trending in a positive direction. Fields might be sending the message that his time in Chicago is over. He then took to a podcast with teammate Equanimeous St. Brown, where he addressed the matter, stating he was trying to cut out the rumors until all the talk about his fate was finally over.
One person took exception to that explanation. David Kaplan of ESPN 1000 fired back at Fields on his Kap & J Hood program, stating nothing about the QB's explanation made sense. In his mind, Fields was acting like a cowardly child.
Kaplan is known around the Chicagoland area for his fiery takes. This was no exception. He thinks Fields knew exactly what he was doing when he unfollowed the Bears and then accepted the request to interview on that podcast. If he didn't want the attention, he could've gone off the grid. Instead, he did exact things that would've gotten everybody buzzing. It's a valid point, but to call him a coward? That is a bit much.
Justin Fields is experiencing the same emotions so many go through.
He doesn't want to believe it's over. There is no doubt he had big plans when he joined the Chicago Bears. A talented competitor like him had zero doubts he would survive and thrive with this team. All he had to do was work hard enough and things would work out. Sadly, that isn't how the NFL works. Working hard isn't enough. You need a specific set of qualities to thrive at the quarterback position. It's been evident that for all his incredible physical talents, Fields is still missing something.
He sees the writing on the wall. Rather than admit it and prepare for the next chapter, he chose to get a little petty about it. Unfollowing the Bears on Instagram would cause a minor controversy. Justin Fields is smart enough to know that. His explanations were a weak cover for the truth. That is one thing Kaplan is right about. Is he a coward? No. We've seen his courage enough on Sundays to know that isn't true. Even Kaplan himself admitted later he might've gone overboard.
When emotions run high, things like this happen. Fields doesn't want it to be over. Kaplan wants him to be a big boy about it. Neither got what they wanted.
