(670 The Score) When a rookie quarterback named Patrick Mahomes gathered the Chiefs' huddle for the first time during an offseason camp in 2017, he shouted out a play so loud the entire defense could hear it.
Mahomes had started 32 games and thrown 95 touchdowns at Texas Tech, lighting up the Big 12 and earning his selection as a first-round pick. But he had never broken a huddle before in college while playing in an up-tempo offense. Mahomes' talent shined and he could improvise with off-balanced throws that opened the eyes of scouts, but he also too often let the fundamentals get away from him in college.
The Chiefs recognized the raw potential in Mahomes, whom they selected No. 10 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft. They wanted to use his rookie season to instill fundamentals that could make him an elite NFL quarterback. Kansas City didn't set up a specific path or timeline for when Mahomes would succeed veteran Alex Smith as the starter, as the organization wanted to see his work and progress first.
A staff that included head coach Andy Reid, then-offensive coordinator Matt Nagy and then-quality control coach Mike Kafka preached the basics for Mahomes during his rookie ramp-up, paving the way for him to become an NFL superstar.
"That's stuff that I need," Mahomes said in February as he reflected back on his rookie season.
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The Bears are now following the Chiefs' blueprint for Mahomes with their own promising rookie quarterback, Justin Fields. Having been on Kansas City's staff in 2017, Nagy believes Chicago is best-suited with veteran Andy Dalton as the starter and Fields developing behind him, without an earnest quarterback competition taking place as training camp starts.
Of course, it's a comparison of apples to oranges between the 2017 Chiefs and 2021 Bears. Kansas City had a stable veteran quarterback in Smith and the NFL's leading rusher in Kareem Hunt that season. Chicago can't be certain in what it's getting in Dalton and has struggled to establish a strong running game under Nagy's watch.
If the Bears want to do this right, they need to measure Fields' growth to that of Mahomes in 2017. Nagy recognizes that while Mahomes had more playing experience in college, Fields has a fair deal himself and also plenty of poise and savvy that comes from competing on championship stages. Fields led Ohio State to the national semifinals in the 2019 season and the national championship game in the 2020 season.
That's one way that Fields is different from Mahomes in the early stages of their rookie years.
"The one thing that Justin has is that he’s played in some big-time games and had big-time moments," Nagy said during veteran minicamp in June. "That’s the one thing that I’m seeing right now from him that is really neat. In practice, if there’s a bad play, if a play has to be called two or three times in the huddle, he doesn’t get flustered. He’s very, very stoic.
"He’d be a pretty good poker player because he’s pretty straight-faced, and that’s good. That’s a good thing. You never want to get too high, you never want to get too low and there’s a lot of bad that goes on in this game, like sports in general, and I think the great athletes are the ones that can respond from adversity and then can play a poor hand well. And that’s what we want all these guys to do."
Had Mahomes played collegiately at Ohio State as Fields did, he likely would've been the top quarterback selected in 2017. But there was natural skepticism regarding a star in Texas Tech's "Air Raid" offense, which led to many designed openings in coverage.
Fields has entered the NFL ahead of where Mahomes was simply because he ran a pro-style offense with the Buckeyes. Fields has mastered the "mental part of the game" for a quarterback with his understanding of routes and protections, Ohio State coach Ryan Day has said.
Facing Clemson in the Sugar Bowl this past January, Fields was flushed out to his left on a blitz. He adjusted the route for tight end Jeremy Ruckert while evading pressure and hit him for a 17-yard touchdown.
"He will adjust with what he needs to adjust with," Day said. "The thing about him is if maybe it's not working, he'll get it solved quickly. I mean, the thing I always go back to is he's never not succeeded in his life at when he really set his mind to it, so he was really, really successful at Ohio State.
"When that game ticks up in the NFL, I'd be shocked if he doesn't pick up really, really fast and make those adjustments. Why? Because he can. He's really intelligent. He's really athletic. And really competitive."
The Bears would be fortunate if they could execute a clean transition from Dalton to Fields as the Chiefs did with Smith to Mahomes. Smith had a strong season in 2017, when Mahomes didn't play until the regular-season finale, at which point the Chiefs had already clinched their playoff fate.
Ultimately, the Bears must prioritize Fields' development over Dalton. If he follows the same path as Mahomes throughout his career, Chicago will have finally found its franchise quarterback.
Every little detail in this rookie season matters for Fields' future -- just as they did for Mahomes.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.