Justin Fields knows his situation. Yes, he’s the 11th overall pick in the draft. Everybody knows he is the future of the Chicago Bears organization. At the same time, he also knows he is a rookie. So he must make sure to carry himself with a humble attitude. It’s okay to be a leader, but be sure to show some respect to veteran teammates. Guys like Damien Williams and Marquise Goodwin who have been around the NFL for a long time.
It seems the rookie quarterback has made a strong impression on them and others in previous weeks. Word out of Halas Hall is Fields has produced some of the best practices yet since arriving last month. People are enamored not just with his strong arm and mobility but his surprising poise and calm under pressure. Yet Williams said one of the coolest things about the rookie was his surprising amount of swagger. The self-confidence he carried on and off the field.
Williams wasn’t alone in this assessment either.
Shortly after his press conference, Goodwin took his turn at the microphone. He too pointed out Fields’ steady demeanor, not to mention his uncanny ability to forget bad plays almost immediately. When asked about the swag comment? He smiled and immediately nodded his head in agreement.
This isn’t the first mention of Fields’ personality either. The swagger comment has filtered out a number of times in recent weeks. This is merely the latest and most public of them. It is apparent the young quarterback operates with the self-assurance that few quarterbacks have had in Chicago. Especially that young.
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Damien Williams is an expert on these things
He’s played with some pretty good quarterbacks already in his career. First with Ryan Tannehill in Miami from 2014 to 2017. Then he was front and center for the rise of Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City. So he has a pretty good idea of what to look for at that position, at least in terms of mentality. It sounds like he is more than intrigued by what he’s seen from Fields up to this point.
Damien Williams and Marquise Goodwin both have a lot to play for this season. They’re operating on one-year deals. That means 2021 is basically an audition year. If they play well, there is a chance a long-term contract could be waiting for them. One has to imagine they’d love to stick around and see what happens as the Fields Era starts to unfold. Everything begins on Saturday in the preseason opener against Miami.
One can safely bet both of them will see snaps with the rookie.
Williams is the #2 running back and Goodwin is a reserve receiver. Expectations are Fields will enter the game at some point later in the 1st quarter and could play to the end of the 3rd. It will be fun to see how he utilizes their talents. If he can do some damage with backups like Jon’Vea Johnson and Khalil Herbert? There is no telling what could happen with those two.