Cody Whitehair is the elder statesman of the Chicago Bears offense at this point. He’s been around since the beginning of their last rebuild, drafted in 2016, and now may have to endure another. This time though, he may finally have a quarterback worth protecting in Justin Fields. The former 11th overall pick flashed a ton of talent in 2021 amidst his up and down struggles. Many feel with better coaching and more help around him, the quarterback can become something special.
Hope for that begins with offensive coordinator Luke Getsy who brings a well-known system with him from Green Bay. Most know it as the Shanahan outside-zone offense, a detailed and intricate scheme that is difficult to learn but highly effective when run correctly. It has also proven great for even average quarterbacks like Jake Plummer or Jared Goff. Whitehair isn’t known for being the outspoken type, but during an interview on Sports Krunch with David Kromelow, the veteran guard was surprisingly optimistic about Fields’ fit in the new offense.
“Yeah, I mean it’s perfect for Justin. Being able to use his legs as well as his knowledge that he brings to our team. I think this offense is going to be really good for him and he definitely fits this scheme very well. So we’re really excited where he’s at. We got to see a little glimpse of it last week and he handled everything really well. So we’re really excited to keep working together and keep learning this offense.”
He isn’t wrong about the fit.
When looking at the history of the Shanahan-style scheme, it has often been at its most successful when having a mobile, big-armed QB under center. Think Steve Young in San Francisco from 1992 to 1994, John Elway in Denver from 1995 to 1998, and Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay from 2019 to the present. In each instance, the offense took full advantage of their abilities to move outside the pocket and strike down the field through the air.
Those are two things Fields does best. He’s arguably one of the fastest quarterbacks in the NFL, posting over 400 rushing yards in 12 games. He also established himself as one of the best passers in terms of deep accuracy last season. It was frustrating that Matt Nagy and his staff didn’t do more to take advantage of those strengths. Cody Whitehair knew it at the time. So it isn’t hard to understand his optimism for this new offense.
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In fact, it might be an equally perfect fit for him. Whitehair is not a power blocker. His strengths have always been in his mobility. That is another thing the outside-zone demands. Blockers that can work in space. He might enjoy a resurgence in 2022, which would only help Fields.
