Justin Fields reignited something in Chicago fans they haven’t had in a long time. Hope. Here was the first quarterback the Bears had drafted in a long time that people genuinely seemed to like. Somebody with blue chip talent. Size, arm strength, speed, and accuracy. A young man mature beyond his years and much more intelligent than he gets credit for. A player with unshakeable self-confidence and a presence as a leader.
His success at Ohio State spoke for itself. In just two years he nearly broke two major program passing records and took them to the College Football Playoffs twice. The second time making it to the national championship game. For a quarterback of that skill level to somehow fall out of the top 10 is unheard of. Yet that is what happened, and the Bears were quick to capitalize. Moving up to draft him 11th overall in April.
Now he’s getting situated with life in Chicago.
On Friday, the rookie decided to take advantage of the Cubs allowing full stadium capacity for the first time since the start of the pandemic. At one point the cameras found him sitting in his luxury box. On the same day he officially signed his rookie contract to make him a millionaire, Chicago fans showered him with cheers on a gorgeous summer afternoon.
This is in stark contrast to four years ago. Mitch Trubisky was taken 2nd overall in the 2017 draft. A move that didn’t make a lot of people happy. Something that became apparent not much later. While trying to enjoy his first Chicago Bulls game, the cameras found him too. Except the reception from the attending fans was considerably…icier.
In hindsight, the fans that night may have seen what was coming. After a promising ascent in 2018, Trubisky ended up leveling off by 2019 and 2020. While he had some nice moments across his four seasons in Chicago, he never lived up to his draft status. Perhaps this warm reception for Fields is a good omen for things to come.
Justin Fields knows his audience for sure
Remember that thing about intelligence? The rookie has already demonstrated that much from how he’s operated in front of the cameras. Just days after the draft he was spotted working out in a sharp orange Bears hat. Then a few weeks later he was seen attending the College Softball World Series, his sister playing for Georgia. His hat of choice this time was the Chicago Blackhawks.
Now here he is donning a Cubs hat for the first full-attendance game at Wrigley in well over a year. Justin Fields is a savvy young man. He is demonstrating a clear understanding of how sports-crazy Chicago is. Not just about the Bears but all their teams. By showing his newfound allegiance to them all, he’s ingratiating himself to the city even more.
Smart, smart man.
Now just imagine what will happen if he plays well when he gets on the field. It probably won’t take long for Justin Fields to own Chicago. Every bit as much as Derrick Rose did during his peak with the Bulls. This is going to be a fun ride.