Justin Fields just turned 22-years old. By NFL standards, he’s a kid. Yet he doesn’t carry himself that way. Anybody who has listened to him speak or watched him operate in front of cameras can see that. He carries himself like a longtime veteran. The work ethic is relentless and the self-confidence is unshakable. Every piece of advice he gets on how to get better isn’t just taken in passing. Fields listens and applies it to make himself better.
He is under no illusions. The rookie knows the level of expectations placed on his shoulders. Not only did the Chicago Bears pick him 11th overall in the draft, but they also traded up to do so. It is crystal clear they view him as the future of their franchise. Everything he does moving forward will be placed under a microscope. Is that going to change how he operates? Not in the least. Hard work is the same as breathing for Fields.
To that end, he plans to set the tone for training camp next month.
Usually, after mandatory minicamps end, players get a long layoff from practices to step away, recharge, and prepare themselves for the grueling stretch to come. That is when the pads go on and the ramp-up period truly begins. While almost everybody will take all those days off to relax, Fields is not one of them. He plans to get an early start on everybody else, hoping to maximize his preparation for what is to come.
Justin Fields said he plans to report with the Bears two weeks before training camp, allowing him to train locally and keep working on the playbook.
Said Fields: "I want to get better. … When that time comes when I do get my chance, I just want to be ready for that moment."
— Chris Emma (@CEmma670) June 17, 2021
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Remember that saying about great leaders? That they’re always the first man in and last man out of everything, be it the weight room or film study? This is what they mean. Fields is making a statement with this. Nobody is going to outwork him. That much is certain. While he may not technically be in competition with Andy Dalton for the starting job, he’s still going to prepare as if he is. That is because he knows the sooner the Bears think he is ready, the sooner he plays.
Justin Fields is doing all the right things
Simply being talented is one thing. Which he is. However, that he is clearly willing to put in as much or more work than anybody else on the roster? That is something else. The quarterback is supposed to be the leader. The guy everybody else on the roster looks at as an example. When they’re putting in the time, what excuses does anybody have? It almost always has a trickle-down effect on the rest of the team.
Justin Fields is making a statement with his decision to return to work a full two weeks before training camp. That statement is, “I aim to be great.” Something he’s echoed ever since he began his journey to the NFL.
It is a huge reason why the Bears gravitated to him in the first place.
If the guy who is supposed to be the future at quarterback is doing that, other players could soon follow. Fields is going to push himself, and as he gets more comfortable in his surroundings he’ll push his teammates too. Anybody unwilling to meet his level of commitment probably isn’t going to last long on the roster.