Justin Fields had a rough year in 2022 as a passer. Everybody has discussed this at length by now. His 149 yards per game was the lowest of any starter in the league. While his 17 to 11 TD-INT ratio was an improvement, it wasn't enough to convince several experts that he has what it takes to be a franchise quarterback. One of the primary issues he suffered from was an unwillingness to turn it loose into tight coverages. NFL.com posts something called Aggressiveness Percentage on their Next Gen Stats. Fields ranked dead last among all quarterbacks last season at 9.1% behind even rookie Brock Purdy.
That unwillingness to test tighter windows led to his abnormally high rushing attempts and number of sacks taken. His athleticism made that an acceptable alternative, but it's not something the Bears can expect to win with in the playoffs. If they want to challenge for a Super Bowl, they need Fields to be a more aggressive passer. A recent video released by the Bears from training camp unintentionally demonstrated how far the quarterback has come in that department. Not only is he being more aggressive in tight windows, but he's throwing some absolute lasers.
Justin Fields trusts himself, and that is huge.
One point of emphasis from the Bears coaches this summer has been urging the quarterback to play free. Yes, he must trust his footwork and fundamentals but don't operate like a robot. Play your style of football. The style that made you a superstar at Ohio State. People forget he was a lethal passer for the Buckeyes across his two years there. It was never that he couldn't be one at the NFL level. It was about becoming comfortable with its speed and complexity while also getting more help around him.
He's done his part. All signs in training camp point to him having far greater mastery of reading coverages and making pre-snap adjustments. The ball is coming out faster too. Chicago has done their part as well. New wide receiver D.J. Moore is a stud, and even Chase Claypool has rediscovered some of the dominant form he showed in his first two years with Pittsburgh. Together with a reinforced offensive line, it appears Fields finally has the supporting cast necessary to show people what he can really do.
