Robert Tonyan Gave Justin Fields Great Advice Before Crucial Year

A few weeks ago, the Chicago Bears offense probably had its worst training camp practice. They were inconsistent, sluggish, and at the mercy of an intense, relentless defense. Blame for the issues centered around a general lack of energy from players. Wide receiver Darnell Mooney said he insisted to quarterback Justin Fields that he needs to be better about providing the offense with more "juice." He has to get on guys about picking up the intensity. He's the leader. That is his job, right? Robert Tonyan disagrees.

The veteran tight end has been around the NFL for six seasons. Most of that time was spent working with Aaron Rodgers, a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Tonyan knows what should be expected of the quarterback. Mooney's assessment means well, but it's not entirely accurate in his mind. Fields explained to Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune what advice the tight end gave him during the summer. Being the juice guy isn't important. He must be the conductor of the orchestra.

"Robert Tonyan has talked about this and he told me that I didn’t really need to be the juice guy on the offense. I needed to be locked in. I have to be locked in intensely and know what everybody’s doing. Get everybody on the same page.

But it’s really just making sure everybody’s on their P’s and Q’s when it comes to running plays and making sure we’re on the same page. And if somebody’s not picking it up, then it’s my job to get on them and make sure that they pick up the tempo."

Robert Tonyan is on the money with this assessment.

Sure, the quarterback is the leader and should motivate his guys in the huddle. However, motivation shouldn't be required for NFL players. The best ones are self-motivated. You're a professional, after all. The best quarterbacks are the field generals. They know where every piece is on the board and what it should do on every play. When those pieces execute their responsibilities properly, it leads to success. That is what Fields must become for this offense to take the next step.

It's what Robert Tonyan saw Rodgers do for years in Green Bay. If you watched him before every snap, he always gets guys lined up in the right place, calls the right protections, and knows what the defense is going to do. It is why the guy was almost impossible for the Bears to beat. The good news is Fields has made great strides in this department. Both coaches and teammates have praised him for his greater command of the offense. It seems he's been taking Tonyan's advice.