LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) -- Bears rookie quarterback Justin Fields rose from his seat and took it all in.
Fields looked down from a suite last Friday at Wrigley Field and was swept up in the overwhelming welcome he received from the 35,112 fans in attendance -- a rousing ovation that lasted nearly a minute. Since being drafted No. 11 overall by the Bears in late April, Fields has been greeted in public settings, read the glowing tweets and recognized the anticipation.
"I definitely felt the love from the Chicago fans," Fields said.
Now comes the challenging part for Fields, the Bears and all of Chicago -- waiting.
Bears coach Matt Nagy reiterated during the team's minicamp this week that veteran quarterback Andy Dalton will be the starter entering the regular season. So barring an injury, Dalton will lead the Bears out for their opener against the Rams on Sept. 12 in Los Angeles and Fields will watch from the sidelines as the backup.
The Bears are committed to Dalton for an undefined period of time.
"There will be a process and a plan," Nagy said. "We will stick to that. That plan is not going to change tomorrow. The plan is not going to change in training camp. The plan is a plan."
When the Bears signed Dalton to a one-year, $10-million contract this offseason, they did so while offering him the starting job. While Nagy stopped short of calling it a promise, it's now clear the Bears intend to follow through.
Dalton, 33, has embraced working with the 22-year-old Fields this offseason. During a practice earlier this month, he waited on the field as Fields threw extra passes. Dalton has offered help before breaking a huddle and in meeting rooms. Dalton and his wife, Jordan, even invited Fields out to dinner recently.
"I knew the situation I was going into, regardless of if they drafted somebody or they didn't," Dalton said earlier in June. "I was on a one-year deal and I was going to be the starter. So, my mindset didn't have to change. I already knew that I'm going to do everything I can to be the best player I can for this team and to help us win a lot of football games."
The Bears will reconvene next in training camp in late July at Halas Hall. While Dalton prepares himself as the starter, Fields will continue on a development plan that the team has carefully placed before him.
Fields plans to take a vacation with his family in the coming weeks but admitted he won't be able to break from preparation. He'll be working on the playbook, calling cadence and plays into iPhone voice memos and readying himself for the season. Fields will arrive two weeks early for training camp so he can get an early start, he said.
While the fanfare in Chicago won't quiet anytime soon, Fields is eager to meet his billing.
"When that time comes when I do get my chance," Fields said, "I just want to be ready for that moment.
"Great things don't happen all at once. I'm just going to be patient."
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.