Justin Fields has done everything right thus far since arriving in April. He’s worked tirelessly to prepare himself for his first season with the Chicago Bears. He has embraced the fans, worked with charities, and said nothing but great things whenever in front of the cameras. Optimism couldn’t be higher for what’s to come. Even eclipsing Mitch Trubisky from back in 2017 despite him being a #2 overall pick. This should serve as a reminder that position in a draft never tells the full story.
Case and point? The NFL’s official rankings of the most likely Rookie of the Year winners. Lance Zierlein is the senior draft analyst for NFL.com and he posited his top 10 favorites for the honor. Unsurprisingly, #1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence was slotted in at #1 on this list. Behind him at #2 was Pittsburgh Steelers running Najee Harris. Then things took a turn when Fields was slotted in at #3, ahead of both Zach Wilson and Trey Lance.
Both of whom went several picks before him in the 1st round.
“It seems like the entire city of Chicago wants to see Fields on the field in Week 1, but head coach Matt Nagy is sticking to the script that says Andy Dalton is the QB1. While Ohio State quarterbacks have traditionally struggled upon entering the league, Fields has a real shot of reversing the trend as a rookie. In 2020, the Bears’ offense showed improvement when coordinator Bill Lazor took over the play-calling duties in the second half of the season. He has an offensive background that could mesh well with Fields’ strengths. Of course, Lazor has a history with Dalton, having coached him in Cincinnati, and Nagy will be calling plays again in 2021. Fields is a bit of a hit-or-miss candidate for this award.”
This speaks to how highly thought of Fields is as talent. Despite being the fourth QB drafted and in danger of starting the season on the bench, Zierlein still chose to rank him that high. That is how talented the quarterback is. That even if he doesn’t see a full season of action, he may still do enough to win the award regardless. That should serve as a reminder of why it’s okay to be excited about his future.
Only one Bears player in NFL history has won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. That was Anthony Thomas back in 2001. Since then, the only ones to come close to even contending for it were Matt Forte in 2008 and Jordan Howard in 2016. No quarterback has ever been in that conversation before. Not Jim McMahon, not Jim Harbaugh, not Rex Grossman, and not Trubisky.
Justin Fields is work like a man with something to prove
Don’t be fooled by his calm demeanor in interviews. Fields is a ferocious competitor. When he not only saw three quarterbacks drafted ahead of him but fell out of the top 10 altogether? He took that personally. The QB even said he aimed to make every team that passed on him pay for their mistake. This is why despite what head coach Matt Nagy says about Andy Dalton being the starter doesn’t matter.
His goal remains the same. To get on the field as soon as possible. That is why he is working so hard to get ready for training camp. It is a personal challenge to himself that he beat out a former Pro Bowler like Dalton for the job. That would certainly make for some big news. Whether he has enough time to pull it off is the big question. Camp opens today and practices begin the July 28th. From there it will be two weeks until the first preseason game.
That isn’t a ton of time.
Fans certainly hope Nagy leaves the door open. Whispers indicate Justin Fields will have a chance to win the job, but he’ll need a truly impressive August to pull it off. The Bears truly like Dalton and feel their current plan is what is best for the team. If Fields wants to change that? He’ll have to earn it. If he does, then those Rookie of the Year expectations could be validated.