Justin Fields Admits He's Targeting A Major Bears Passing Record

Justin Fields doesn't express his opinions much regarding his most vocal doubters. That has never been his way. However, nobody should be fooled. He is well aware of the noise and what is being said. The prevailing narrative going into 2023 is that he's incapable of becoming a legitimate NFL passer. Averaging 149 yards per game last year had a lot to do with that. People see him as another Michael Vick. He's electric when using his remarkable speed and scrambling ability, but he always seems to underachieve when asked to beat teams with his arm.

Now it isn't fair to put that entirely on him. The Bears had a less-than-stellar supporting cast last season. His offensive line was leaky at the best of times, while his receiving corps dropped too many passes and couldn't get consistently open. Combine that with a new system to learn under Luke Getsy, and it's not surprising he struggled. Each of those problems was addressed in the off-season. This might explain his brimming confidence going into 2023. In fact, he told the All Things Covered podcast that he aims to break a longstanding franchise record this season.

He will be the first to ever pass for 4,000 yards.

“I will. I plan on doing it this year, too. I plan on doing it this year.”

Justin Fields aims for a remarkably elusive record.

People thought 4,000 yards was impossible at one point in time. Then Joe Namath did it in 1967. Since then, the NFL has seen the mark get eclipsed 217 times. Every single franchise has seen it happen at least once in their existence. Everyone except the Bears. Nothing showcases their remarkable ineptitude at the quarterback position than the inability to produce a 4,000-yard passer in an era where the rules are literally slanted to make the achievement far easier. Yet still, they remain without one.

Only two players have come close. Erik Kramer holds the single-season record with 3,838 yards in 1995. The other was Jay Cutler in 2014, amassing 3,812 yards. Nobody else has gotten remotely close. Justin Fields believes he can finally be the one to break through. To do so, he must average 236 yards passing per game. That may not sound too bad until you remember Fields has averaged 152 through his first two seasons. It would be a dramatic jump for him.

That said, he has probably the best supporting cast of his career, led by D.J. Moore, Darnell Mooney, Chase Claypool, Cole Kmet, and Robert Tonyan. If he gets adequate protection, he has the sort of deep-strike ability to rack up yards quickly.