The story of training camp thus far has been a familiar one. The Chicago Bears defense is dictating the tempo of practices, making life tough on the offense. This shouldn’t be a surprise. Despite questions about age and other factors, the unit is still loaded with a lot of talent at all levels. Combine this with a banged-up offensive line? Struggles should be expected. That said, it hasn’t stopped Justin Fields from making steady improvements.

The 11th overall pick had some hiccups through his first two proper camp practices. A couple of interceptions and erratic ball placement. Holding the ball too long on certain plays. Trademark signs of a young QB facing a veteran defense while trying to process a complex playbook. That said, Fields hasn’t seemed perturbed by the setbacks. If anything, they’ve only driven him to work harder. Friday thus saw him produce one of his better practices to date according to multiple Bears beat reporters.

Justin Fields had two sweet throws in 7-on-7, one a fastball on an intermediate route over the middle to Thomas Ives and later a perfectly placed shot up the seam to Javon Wims. High level QB throws.

— Dan Wiederer (@danwiederer) July 30, 2021

Fields threaded the needle on a throw over the middle to Jesse James. Showed off his strong arm and accuracy. #Bears

— Zack Pearson (@Zack_Pearson) July 30, 2021

A trend has really begun to develop with Fields.

While his processing speed needs work, one thing is clear. When he decides to turn it loose? He almost always hits puts the ball right on the money. Especially over the middle. This marked the second day in a row he found Jesse James for a big play in that area of the field. Something that was a persistent issue with Mitch Trubisky during his four years as the starter.

Then there were accurate bullets up the seam too. Another throw Trubisky struggled with. It’s so easy to forget how limited the Bears’ passing game was with him under center. That Fields already has a knack for such difficult throws is a great sign. As he gains confidence, it should only get better.

Justin Fields is about to get serious

Thus far all of his practices have been conducted in shorts. The Bears will put the pads going into this weekend. That is when fans will get a true glimpse of where he and the rest of the offense are at. A big key to this equation remains the offensive line. Thus far it has operated without both starting tackles. Teven Jenkins is out with back tightness while Germain Ifedi nurses a hip flexor. So Fields’ protection hasn’t exactly been ideal.

Don’t expect him to use that as an excuse though. The job of the quarterback is to navigate the difficulties around him and still make plays. He proved he could do that a lot at Ohio State. There are signs he’s doing the same in Chicago. Just not in the same large doses he’s accustomed to. Not yet. Those should come with more time and seasoning.

Until then, it’s all about steady improvement.

Justin Fields probably won’t be the same quarterback two weeks from now for the first preseason game. He should be more confident and self-assured inside the offense. More battle-tested by constant practices against that defense. The next step will then be live game action. First against the Miami Dolphins on August 14th. That is going to be a fun time.