The Chicago Bears brass made their feelings known on Justin Fields from the jump. Head coach Matt Nagy was in on young quarterback for over a year. GM Ryan Pace was a quick convert as well. Soon the entire organization grew to love the idea of the Ohio State phenom becoming the face of their franchise. That is why they traded up to get him last April. Their confidence in his potential is that strong.
Since then the coaches haven’t backed off that excitement. Quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo and offensive coordinator Bill Lazor were spotted talking about his confidence and presence on the field. Something that can be unusual for a rookie. What isn’t yet known is the feelings of his new teammates. How does the locker room view Fields after getting a chance to see him in both OTAs and mandatory minicamps?
It sounds like there is a legitimate buzz.
While discussing the Bears’ quarterback situation, Kimberly Martin of ESPN revealed what she’s been hearing from Halas Hall. Apparently, there is a ton of excitement around the young QB. He has been throwing dimes consistently in practice. Is that enough to warrant belief Fields might overtake Andy Dalton for the starting job? That remains unknown. However, it sounds like the door is still open.
Nagy has remained consistent in his message for months now. Dalton is going to be the starter barring two things. Either he gets hurt or performs so poorly in training camp that it forced the Bears to re-evaluate things. There is no way for Fields to “win” the job. This isn’t a competition. Dalton is the starter and Fields is the backup.
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Justin Fields will have his opportunities
Nagy may feel that way now, but minds can be changed. The Bears head coach is hardly immune to this. He’s the same guy who benched Mitch Trubisky in Week 3 last year despite a 2-0 start to the season. This is a man who goes with his gut. If he gets the sense that Fields is ready to play and more importantly the locker room wants him to play? It isn’t difficult to see that happening.
Dalton may have been promised the job in March, but promises don’t hold out for long in this business. Fields has both training camp and the preseason to make a statement. That is plenty of time. Plenty of tape to evaluate. Dalton has experience on his side. However, talent tends to win out in the end. If Justin Fields shows he isn’t overwhelmed by the playbook or the NFL speed?
He is going to play sooner than later.
That is why there is more excitement around next month than anybody realizes. No matter how hard Nagy tries, nobody is buying his assurances. Not yet. Nothing about an NFL roster is decided in June and July. They still have to go through the practices. The real players separate themselves when the pads go on. Those first two to three weeks in August will be what determined everything.