Justin Fields Is Seeking Advice From Hall Of Fame QB

Justin Fields isn't naive. He understands the business of football. The Chicago Bears have the #1 overall pick. GM Ryan Poles didn't draft him. It would be negligent on his part not to at least put in the proper work to evaluate the incoming 2023 quarterback class. That doesn't mean Fields is out of a job. Poles stated the plan is to move forward with him at quarterback. The only way that changes is if one of these QBs blows him away. Until then, the former 11th overall pick is focused on what he can control.

That is getting better. His primary goal this off-season is to improve his work in the short passing game. He explained on the Rich Eisen Show that it remains something holding him back as a passer. His mechanics are part of the problem and something he hopes to correct. The numbers reflect this. Fields completed 72.2% of his passes within nine yards of the line of scrimmage with four touchdowns and four interceptions. His passer rating on those throws (82.6) is actually lower than on his throws of 20 yards or more (89.4).

That is not normal for top NFL quarterbacks. The best ones should be near-perfect in the short range. Fields understands this. He's even seeking help from somebody who knows a thing or two about quarterbacking.

"Our head coach, Coach Flus, just met Steve Young, so I'm looking forward to getting together with him and talking to him a little bit about the quarterback position. About playing quarterback."

What would he want to pick Young's brain about?

"You know, just everything. The ups and downs. How he played the position and what his mindset was going into each week, going into every game and stuff like that."

Steve Young understands Justin Fields more than most.

The Hall of Famer came into professional football with remarkably similar issues. He had a terrific arm but wasn't known for precision as a passer. His best attribute was his legs. His first four years of pro football between the USFL (1984-1985) and the NFL (1986-1987) saw him deal with the same issues. He barely hovered around 53% completed passes and threw a lot of interceptions. Most of his big plays were created through the use of his legs. It wasn't until he'd spent a couple of years in San Francisco under Bill Walsh that he finally began understanding how to play quarterback.

He can help Justin Fields understand the steps it took to make that transition from runner trying to be a quarterback to a quarterback that could run. Credit must go to the Bears QB for recognizing the right person to talk to. If Young had stuck to his usual ways, he likely would've washed out of the NFL by the start of the 1990s. There is no way his body would've held up to the constant pounding. His willingness to change ended up extending his career and made him a superstar. The same can happen with Fields.

Chicago must do its part by getting more help around him.