Don't ever think for a second that this doesn't matter to Justin Fields. He might come across as even-keeled and not having a fiery temperament, but that belies the truth. He is a competitor. He works hard and wants to win more than anybody on or off the field. More importantly, he wants to do it for the Chicago Bears. They drafted him. They took a chance on him when several other teams, like the Jets and 49ers, passed on him for inferior quarterbacks in 2021. He's endured a lot in the past three years, from countless hits to endless losing. Yet he persevered through it all and delivered one of the best performances of his career on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons.
Fields threw for 268 yards, ran for 45, threw a touchdown, and ran for a touchdown. He should've had another touchdown pass if Tyler Scott hadn't dropped it. There was also no turnovers. This is the kind of efficient field general the Bears had hoped for. The fact he did it with only one able wide receiver and his best tight end banged up makes it even more apparent how well he plays. Bears fans at Soldier Field certainly agreed. Towards the end of a 37-17 victory, chants of "We want Fields!" broke out around the stadium.
That by itself was a pretty cool moment. What made it even better was Fields' reaction to it. First was the post-game interview on the field for CBS, where the emotions were obviously high. Then, he reiterated his love for Chicago and Bears fans in his post-game presser.
Justin Fields has made a strong argument to stay.
From the start of 2022 through September of last year (18 games), Fields threw 20 touchdowns, 15 interceptions, and ran for nine touchdowns. Since the beginning of last October (9 games), he has 13 touchdown passes, five interceptions, and ran for another three touchdowns. His passer rating has jumped from 81.4 to 91.8. Even that is misleading because one of those interceptions should've been a touchdown but was bobbled into a defender's hands. Suffice it to say the numbers indicate Fields is improving.
Nobody can argue he's made a strong case to keep his job. It comes down to whether GM Ryan Poles saw what he wanted to see. He holds the final decision. This wouldn't be a discussion if the Bears were picking outside the top 10 next spring. The problem is they now have the #1 overall pick in the 2024 draft. That means they can take any QB they want. If Poles senses a potential superstar among the incoming prospects, nothing Fields does may matter at this point, aside from upping his trade value.
That said, the voices of fans and teammates are becoming harder and harder to ignore.
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