Make no mistake. It isn’t just the fans who were excited when the Chicago Bears made Justin Fields their new quarterback last month. The guys who were going to be his teammates were just as intrigued. The video by Eddie Jackson during the pick said it all. Don’t be fooled. Many pro players watch a lot of college football. Either because they love it or because they like keeping tabs on their old programs. So it was impossible not to be aware of Fields.
The guy was a Heisman finalist in 2019. He took Ohio State to the CFB playoffs twice and the national title game last year. Fields was as close to a star as anybody can ever get. Isn’t it only natural that players would be anxious to get a close-up look at him? A chance to see what all the fuss about. That would seem to be the case here. As the Bears moved to Phase 2 of their voluntary offseason, a primary concern for them was how many players would actually attend. Especially with the NFLPA trying to dissuade them from doing so.
According to Jeff Dickerson of ESPN, things turned out pretty well. Around 70 players showed up for work. The most interesting part? Nearly everyone on the offensive side was present and accounted for.
Bears had about 70 players in attendance on Monday for Day 1 of Phase 2 of the voluntary offseason program — and near perfect attendance on offense. Certainly qualifies as a good day at Halas Hall to have so many players in the building during an uncertain offseason.
— Jeff Dickerson (@DickersonESPN) May 18, 2021
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Is this the Fields Effect?
It’s hard not to see it as anything else. Perhaps one could argue it’s a general motivation of something to prove this year. The offense has continued to rank among the worst in the NFL the past couple of seasons. There might be added incentive to make sure things finally get off the ground this year. However, the only realistic explanation for such a strong turnout is players wanting to see what all the hype is about with the young quarterback.
Justin Fields has looked the part thus far
It’s always difficult to determine anything from practices in shorts and no pads. Still, it is never a good sign if a young QB is struggling with basic things like throws to the flat or taking snaps under center. These were issues that popped up with Mitch Trubisky back in 2017. Such was not the case with Fields. Everything looked smooth for him from the snaps to the mechanics and accuracy. He carried himself as a 1st round QB should.
The next phase will be bringing rookies and veterans together for the first time. Justin Fields no doubt helped with the attendance marks. However, there was likely an added assist. The Bears recently revealed that they’d cut out one week of their Organized Team Activities (OTAs). Instead of starting May 25th, it will now begin June 1st. This is widely viewed as a concession by the team due to players still having concerns over COVID-19.
It seems to have gotten the desired effect.
OTAs have always been a sore spot of discussion in league circles what with many teams having contact in these practices despite no pads. The Bears’ willingness to be flexible is a sign of how determined they are to get this season off on the right note. Keep that positive momentum going. Having Fields as a draw only furthers those aims.
