Justin Fields is a competitor. He wants to win. He wants to be the best. This is a big reason why he works so hard. A great way athletes like him excel is by finding motivation in everything they do. A tried and true classic is listening to criticism from any and all sources. Any slight against him, no matter how small, is taken to heart. Needless to say Fields has heard his fair share of criticisms over the past few months.
Most would probably say the biggest insult he suffered was falling out of the top 10 in the draft. Seeing so many teams with quarterback needs pass on him for one reason or another, opting for guys like Sam Darnold or Teddy Bridgewater. When he arrived in Chicago, the kid had a chip on his shoulder. It took some time but now he is starting to play much better football of late.
So what is it that drives Fields the most?
During his interview on Parkins & Spiegel for 670 The Score, he admitted that the draft slight still sticks with him for obvious reasons. However, that isn’t what irks him the most. Attacks on his individual play are one thing. No, it is the constant jabs at how the offense as a whole performs that he takes most personally. He certainly has gotten an earful of that for the past two months and he’s tired of it.
“It’s a bunch of stuff mixed up about how they say our offense isn’t as good and stuff like that. Of course, we’ve had a couple of rough games this year. So just hearing everybody’s mouth that talked bad about us. That’s just a little bit of motivation for myself and my teammates.”
This is a big reason why guys have started performing better lately. They’ve heard the criticism for so long that they’re tired of it. Guys are working harder and following Fields’ lead in a mission to improve.
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“I think my teammates get motivated by me. To be honest those two performances that we had earlier were just embarrassing. So we knew we couldn’t stay like that. Every day at practice we work hard and get better.”
If people needed another reminder of how strong Fields’ leadership qualities are, then look no further. He has continued to push all the right buttons since he took over the job in Week 3. Guys seem to be buying in more and more.
Justin Fields is establishing himself as something different
The best way to describe him at this point? Probably Jay Cutler without the personality quirks. He has the same toughness, live arm, and understated accuracy as #6 did. Not to mention the willingness to turn it loose down the field at every opportunity. Unlike Cutler, he seems much more focused on his work off the field and is the unquestioned locker room leader. Something that was always uncertain with Jay.
That is the scary part. People always wondered how good Cutler could’ve been if he’d operated with a little bit less of a laid-back attitude. Too often it felt like he leaned on his incredible talent too much rather than working hard to make himself great. That is not the case with Justin Fields. He may have elite-level talent, but he’s pairing that with an elite-level work ethic.
This explains why he is playing so well already.
The Bears are in the early stages of getting this offense where they want to go. Fields is the most critical piece. However, others like Cole Kmet, Darnell Mooney, and David Montgomery look like they’re going to be nice building blocks as well. With a better offensive line and improved coaching? They could be something to watch as early as next season.
