With the offseason in full swing, the Chicago Bears have set about overhauling their offense from top to bottom. One of the biggest pieces on the agenda is finding more weapons for Justin Fields in the passing game. GM Ryan Poles decided to lean heavily on his background with the Kansas City Chiefs, bringing in wide receiver Byron Pringle. An undrafted free agent for them in 2018, he eventually became one of their more underrated targets last season with over 500 yards and five touchdowns.
While returning to Kansas City would’ve been nice, Pringle understood he’d never get more opportunities there. Not with Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, and Mecole Hardman all still there. They’d be eating up the targets. If he wanted to take another step in his career, the young receiver had to seek opportunities elsewhere. That was when he got a call from Poles. Not only did the Bears need receiving help, but they also had a young quarterback in Justin Fields that Pringle was familiar with.
In his mind, it’s precisely the type of QB that fits him like a glove.
It is easy to understand his thinking. Byron Pringle played his entire career with Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City. No quarterback in the NFL is better at making plays outside the pocket than him. His scramble drills are legendary. It probably isn’t a coincidence that several of his big plays doing this last season were to Pringle. Just watch the receiver’s highlights. Most of the passes Mahomes threw him came during a scramble.
Part of being a successful receiver with a quarterback that likes to run is understanding one vital thing. Never stop working on getting open. Many receivers will run their route and then sit back and watch the play. That can’t happen with guys like Mahomes. He is going to run until he finds somebody open. So if you want the football, keep moving around until you find space. Pringle did this really well. Most of the receivers Chicago had last year didn’t. That is another reason Fields struggled.
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It isn’t a surprise the receiver can do this so well. During his two seasons at Kansas State, his quarterback Jesse Ertz was another dual-threat type that liked to throw on the run. So he learned early on what it takes to succeed with these players. It will be fun to see how the relationship between him and Fields develops.
