Justin Fields earned the patience of Chicago Bears management. His 2022 season was far from perfect, but he played well enough to warrant another season. GM Ryan Poles used the off-season to bring in as much help as possible. D.J. Moore fortified the wide receiver room. Darnell Wright and Nate Davis came in to help steady the offensive line. Robert Tonyan adds another weapon at tight end. Together with his second season in the same offense, it's hardly unrealistic to think Fields should improve as a passer this year.
The third-year quarterback made two appearances in the preseason. Statistically, he played well, going 5-of-9 for 180 yards and two touchdowns. However, the numbers appear misleading. Most of them came from short throws on screens. It was a mixed bag when asked to take deep drops and make throws from the pocket. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune spoke to a scout from another NFC team about it. The reaction was that Fields still hadn't corrected his biggest issue from last year.
”I know there is a lot of hype around Fields because of the plays he made with his legs last year,” an NFC scout said last week. “That and the talent upgrades have created a lot of hype. To me, his eyes are the biggest issue. Still a big question mark if he can see the field and work through progressions. He wants to run first, drops his eyes to the rush and look for running lanes too often. Hard to succeed when that’s the case.”
Justin Fields still hasn't quite made that Jalen Hurts shift.
The Philadelphia Eagles star was primarily a runner in his first two years. That finally changed in 2022 when he blossomed as a pocket passer. It was hoped Fields could do the same this season. Now, fairness is required here. The guy only threw nine passes, and it's the preseason. No scheming was involved, and he played without large chunks of his starting offensive teammates. Still, what was said isn't untrue. Fields still seemed to take a half-second longer than normal to make his throws against Buffalo. He did tuck and run at the first opportunity rather than keep his eyes downfield for a big play.
It is way too soon to make any definitive statements about Justin Fields. More playing time is required. He must get comfortable with his new weapons and hopefully learn to trust his protection. People forget Hurts didn't start hitting his stride as a passer last season until mid-October. It is reasonable to assume that we should know where Fields is by the start of November. If he still looks like what the scout described, the Bears may know this is who he is.
Then, it becomes a decision whether they can live with that.
