Sometimes fans can let the hype train get a little too carried away. It is perfectly okay for them to be excited about Justin Fields. They should be. In terms of pure physical talent? He is probably the best the Chicago Bears have ever drafted. However, amidst the amazing media blitz that followed his arrival, it became so easy to forget one lingering fact. For all his obvious ability, he is still a rookie.
The NFL is just a different level. Its speed and complexity are something most incoming players aren’t ready for. Especially quarterbacks. This means struggles come with the territory. That of course hasn’t stopped some from freaking out about Fields’ early sessions at Bears training camp. One which saw him throw a few interceptions and the next that saw a number of unfortunate missed opportunities.
This obviously means he is a bust, right?
Of course not. It means he hasn’t learned how to process the information he sees at a high enough speed yet. At the same time, this hasn’t stopped him from making some truly impressive plays along the way. Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic explained as much following Thursday’s practice. Amidst the inconsistency, Fields’ mental toughness was evident too.
“Maybe my favorite throw from Fields came in team drills when Fields rolled to his right and with an edge rusher in his face, calmly adjusted his arm angle to complete a pass to wide receiver Chris Lacy with ease. Veteran tight end Jesse James — who, for his part, looks the part — high-pointed a rocket of a throw from Fields over the middle for one of the highlights of the practice.”
Dealing with pressure in his face and making completions over the middle. Two things that were often a persistent issue with Mitch Trubisky the past few years. They’re small morsels of positivity but more than enough to think Fields will be fine. He is putting in the work. There is a reason head coach Matt Nagy is doing things this way. Development is a difficult process. One that cannot and should not be rushed.
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Justin Fields should get better with more reps
That is just how it usually is in football. When you see something at a certain speed for long enough, your eyes eventually catch up to it. Thus far the knock on Fields is that he’s been a bit late with his reads during drills. That makes sense. He’s trying to process both the complexity of the play he has to run while also assessing what type of rush and coverage the defense is going to bring. It is not easy.
Seeing him struggle with that during the first and second days of training camp should not be a surprise. Now if it’s still happening late in August after a full camp and three preseason games? That is when fans should feel comfortable asking questions. Smart money though says Justin Fields will have improved by that point.
Best to let things play out.
Until then, it appears Andy Dalton is assuming his role as the starter just fine. He looked sharp in both practices thus far, distributing the football well and taking some nice shots down the field. Chicago trusts that he can be a more than serviceable starter for them until Fields is ready. Everything is going according to the plan Nagy laid out months ago. It isn’t even August yet. Be patient.
