The Chicago Bears franchise is at a crossroads. They invested the 11th overall pick in quarterback Justin Fields, but they have yet to see tangible, surefire results that would infer he is THE GUY for them at the sport’s most important position.
Some of that is on Fields, some of that is on the lacking offensive ecosystem around him. Fields has the highest under-pressure rate (46.2%) and the highest sack rate (12.4%) among 38 qualified quarterbacks since 2021. He also ranked bottom five among the same 38 qualified qualified quarterbacks in completion rate and interception rate during the span of his NFL career.
Justin Fields career NFL ranks since 2021
| QB Ranks since 2021* | ||
|---|---|---|
Comp Pct | 60.3% | 35th |
Sack Pct | 12.4% | Last |
Pressured Pct | 46.2% | Last |
INT Pct | 3.1% | 37th |
* Out of 38 qualified QBs in span
Entering the 2024 after a 7-10 campaign in 2023, the Bears have resources to remake their roster in a dramatic way. They possess the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft thanks to trading back in last year’s draft to allow the Carolina Panthers to come up from nine to one to select quarterback Bryce Young first overall. Chicago also has its own pick, ninth overall, in addition to $61.5 million in cap space, the sixth-most in the NFL.
Despite the opportunity the Bears have to move on, retired NFL quarterback Chase Daniel, who played two of his 13 NFL seasons with the Bears (2018-2019), believes Fields can still be Chicago’s answer at the position.
“I think Justin Fields is the answer as the franchise quarterback of the Chicago Bears,” Daniel said in a YouTube film review of Fields’ 2023 season.
He then went on to highlight a top play from each of Fields’ games this season. Here is a look at the first two.
The first play Daniel points to is Fields’ 20-yard touchdown pass against the Green Bay Packers in Week 1, a 38-20 defeat, this season to the right corner of the end zone at Soldier Field.
“Pretty sweet if you ask me,” Daniel said. “There’s a lot of stuff going on here. Look at how Justin brings this guy [the running back] back into the backfield. He checks the play … last-minute … has a guy right in his face and delivers a strike from the pocket.”
The second play is Fields’ 20-yard touchdown throw to since-departed wide receiver Chase Claypool against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ zone coverage. He lasers the ball in between a cornerback and a safety for the score in what concluded as a 27-17 Week 2 loss.
“I thought Justin for the whole year did a really good job on that [hitting receivers on seam routes over the middle of the field,” Daniel said. “Look at his footwork here: one, two, three. Hitch, ball before the safety, who is Antoine Winfield Jr. He’s going to be an All-Pro this year.”
To check out more of Fields’ “wow plays” from each week of the 2023 season and Daniel’s entire breakdown, click here.
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Author: Garrett Podell
January 9, 2024 | 7:00 pm
