How A Die-Hard Bears Fan Helped Them Land Justin Fields

Was the Chicago Bears landing Justin Fields nothing short of destiny? Some people may think that. Just look at the sequence of events. The unlikely rise of Zach Wilson to supplant him as the #2 QB taken in the draft. San Francisco falling in love with Trey Lance. Falling past a number of teams that could've used fresh blood at quarterback in the top 10. Other teams like Minnesota and New England could've traded up for him but didn't. All of those fortunate breaks enabled the Bears to land the guy they'd wanted for a long time. However, it might be possible that a huge part of why Fields ended up in Chicago can be credited to one man. Somebody who has never been shy about his sworn allegiance as a Bears fan. That being Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald. He revealed to Adam Hoge of NBC Sports Chicago that he'd been contacted by the Bears about his impressions of Fields. Through those conversations, he realized just how much they liked him.

Slater landing in Chicago would have been great, but Fitzgerald was well aware of the Bears’ interest in Fields. As soon as he saw the Bears trade up to No. 11, he knew what was happening. “I will tell you there were a number of NFL head coaches and GMs that reached out to me about Justin Fields this year and I’m not surprised that he went to the Bears,” Fitzgerald said. “There were a couple other teams I thought might jump up to take him but I think the Bears did what they had to do to go get the quarterback they wanted.”

The best part could be that Fields' slide was Fitzgerald's fault, to begin with.

One of the persistent issues a lot of teams had with the quarterback leading up to the draft was two particular games he played in 2020. Games in which he struggled more than he apparently should've. None more so than his game against Fitzgerald's Wildcats in the Big 10 championship. Though Ohio State won the game, Fields had his worst performance of the season going 12-of-27 for 144 yards and two interceptions. That game stuck in the minds of many and no doubt the pre-draft process helped it snowball to such a point that it enabled him to fall way further than he should've. Of course, nobody remembers the very next game Fields played where he threw six touchdowns against mighty Clemson in the Sugar Bowl. What was more likely? Him being a bad QB or maybe Northwestern just having a really strong performance? It's easy to forget the Wildcats had the #5 overall defense in the nation last year. A fact people tend to gloss over. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiuBL3ikHts&ab_channel=zzLIAMzz11

Justin Fields had reasons for his performance

While Northwestern played a tremendous game that day, Fitzgerald is quick to point out they had some help. They noticed that at one point in the first half, Fields appeared to have injured his throwing hand. As things progressed into the second half, it became clear that was the case. Fields' throws just didn't look right. That inability to put the proper spin on the ball played a big role in why he never found a rhythm throwing that day. To his credit, Justin Fields made no excuses about it after the game. He simply acknowledged he had to play better. That he certainly did against Clemson. No doubt that response, along with Fitzgerald's assurances that the kid is legit, played a big part in the Bears becoming convinced he was their guy. While others were hesitant to take him, Chicago gave up a future 1st round pick for the privilege.

If he ends up becoming what he should be?

It would be so fitting that a Bears fan like Fitzgerald played such a pivotal role in making it happen. Another reminder that the football gods act in mysterious ways. One thing is for sure. He and many others are excited to see what happens next. Rookie minicamps begin this week. That will be the first opportunity people have to see Fields in a Bears helmet. The excitement should only build from there.