More Proof Justin Fields Is Winning Over The Bears Locker Room

There were rumblings even before the regular season that Justin Fields had the Chicago Bears locker room buzzing. His obvious talent kept standing out but so did his surprising maturity and self-confidence. Once he became the starter in Week 3, it was going to be interesting to see how the locker room handled his inevitable low points. Not to mention how the rookie himself handled the pressure of leading a room full of veterans. There were certainly some rough moments. His nine-sack game in Cleveland. Five turnovers against Tampa Bay. It would've been easy for Fields to get frustrated and lose his focus. Yet that hasn't been the case. Every time he's endured a difficult game, he came back the next week with a season-best effort. That was true once again last Sunday when he compiled 278 total yards including 103 rushing and two touchdowns.

He was the best player on the field for Chicago.

It seems teammates took notice. Akiem Hicks spoke about it after the game, stating that in his opinion Fields is "elite" in his capabilities. Noteworthy praise from a man who shared locker rooms with Drew Brees and Tom Brady. He isn't alone either. Veteran safety Tashaun Gipson was asked about Fields during his weekly press conference. He sounded impressed by the progress the rookie has made and believes that given time the kid is going to do big things. [video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Tashaun-Gipson-Sr.-on-Justin-Fields-Defenses-can-never-get-comfortable-Chicago-Bears2021_11_04_14_25_11.mp4"][/video] If anybody has a right to be somewhat skeptical of quarterbacks, it's Gipson. This is a guy who has played with the likes of Brandon Weeden, Johnny Manziel, and Blake Bortles for most of his career. First round busts all. He has heard this sort of hype many times in the past and was always disappointed. So for him to say something like that about Fields is rather encouraging.

Justin Fields hasn't faced many cupcakes this season

In terms of schedule difficulty, he has now faced four top 15 defenses since his first start in Week 3. He is getting ready to face two more in the next three weeks in the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens. The only true bad defense he has faced this season was the Detroit Lions and even they're a decent 16th against the pass. This should serve as a reminder that the Bears rookie is showing progress despite few things working in his favor.

His offensive line is poor. His receivers have struggled to get open with any consistency this season. The coaching has gotten panned by experts all season and even going back a couple of years. Despite all that, Justin Fields has shown considerable maturation as a passer. This does not mean he should be immune to criticism. The rookie has a lot of mistakes he has to clean up. Particularly when it comes to protecting the football. He has eight fumbles this season.

Plenty of work to do.

Still, it feels like he is trending in the right direction. Even his more experienced teammates can sense it. It is all about continuing to work hard, refining his game and getting on the same page with his teammates. If he can finish the second half playing well? Then the Bears figure to be a hot destination for new head coaches in 2022.