Justin Fields had hoped to start his NFL career strong this past season. He'd had a ton of success at Ohio State but still managed to fall out of the top 10 of the draft. Still, the Chicago Bears traded up to get him, believing his talent was at the level of a potential superstar. Unfortunately, too many things went wrong. Many of them were out of Fields' control. The coaches weren't allowing him more practice reps with the first-team offense. Poor pass protection. Often nonsensical game plans. Receivers were dropping too many passes. Fields struggled as a result. Yet that hasn't deterred teammates like Khalil Herbert from believing in him.
The fellow 2021 draft alum had a much more positive rookie year. Herbert was effective whenever asked to fill in for an injured David Montgomery. Enough to where some wonder if he made the former expendable this offseason. Speculation aside, Herbert spoke with WGN reporter Jarrett Payton about the Bears' second-year quarterback. Somebody that goes into next season with a ton of questions about his viability as a starter in the NFL.
Herbert didn't seem concerned. Quite the opposite.
A strong vote of confidence. Never a bad thing to see. It's easy to understand why people are skeptical of Fields at this point. He threw ten interceptions to just seven touchdowns as a rookie and also had 12 fumbles. His turnover tendencies are a huge concern. To say nothing of his troubling knack for absorbing way too many hits. Throw all of that in along with the Bears' extended legacy of quarterback disappointments and pessimism is to be expected. That said, there is room for optimism. New head coach Matt Eberflus revamped the offensive staff led by coordinator Luke Getsy. The former Green Bay Packers passing game coordinator plans to reshape the offense around Fields' strengths as a player. Combine that with GM Ryan Poles promising to improve his protection and weaponry, and it sounds like Khalil Herbert might be proven correct. Fields is getting ready to show everybody what he can do next season.
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