LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) -- Justin Fields has embraced the weight of expectations ever since that memorable draft night two years ago when the Bears touted him as their potential franchise quarterback.
That drive is still just as powerful for Fields as he now looks ahead to his third NFL season. In 2022, he emerged as a leader for the Bears, got comfortable in an offensive system as the season moved on, had a flair for the spectacular and also revealed a need to improve as a more well-rounded quarterback. For the 23-year-old Fields, what’s ever present in his mind at the end of a challenging season is his stamp on the team and his hold on what's to come.
“I feel like it’s already mine,” Fields said. “The guys in here, they know how hard I work, they know what I want to accomplish and just my mindset overall. Really, just trying to get guys on the same page, that mindset, that culture, to where no matter what we go through, nothing can faze us.”
At the end of this 3-14 season, the Bears were a non-competitive team that completely prioritized their future over the present. Chicago's reward was to land the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft after finishing on a franchise-worst 10-game losing streak. Fields has led just five victories over two NFL seasons, though the Bears have been a team in transition around him.
Fields played his rookie season in 2021 under a lame-duck coaching staff led by Matt Nagy and a front office steered by then-general manager Ryan Pace. Both were fighting for their futures and fired at season's end. As the Bears brought in Matt Eberflus as head coach and Ryan Poles as general manager last January, Fields was the team's centerpiece while great change took place around him.
In the 2022 season, Fields completed 60.4% of his passes for 2,242 yards, 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while adding 160 carries for 1,143 yards and eight rushing scores on the ground. He finished 63 yards shy of the NFL’s single-season rushing record for a quarterback, set by Ravens star Lamar Jackson during his MVP campaign in 2019.
“That’s a rushing record; I'm a quarterback,” Fields said. “I mean, of course it would’ve been really cool to have. But I'm not really into records like that. If there was one record I'd like to break, of course that would have to be a passing record. We’ll see if we can get that done in the near future. But just trying to focus on getting better as a player, getting better as a quarterback and getting better as a teammate.”
While Fields on Monday declined to share specifics about his goals for 2023, he did acknowledge his desire to continue progressing as a passer. The Bears had the NFL’s top rushing offense and last-ranked passing attack this past season. While offensive coordinator Luke Getsy has pointed to the need to scheme to his players’ strengths, there’s also a great desire inside the Bears to see Fields become the type of prolific passer that he was at Ohio State.
The Bears recognize the need to improve a great deal around Fields. His leading receiver was tight end Cole Kmet, who had just 50 receptions for 544 yards and seven touchdowns. Fields’ top wide receiver was Darnell Mooney, who posted 40 catches for 493 yards and two touchdowns over 12 games before suffering a season-ending ankle injury in late November and missing Chicago's final five contests.
Receiver Chase Claypool, whom the Bears acquired on Nov. 1 in exchange for a second-round pick, had only 14 receptions for 140 yards and no touchdowns over seven games with the team. Fields struggled with a patchwork group on offense. The entire passing game suffered as a result, but the Bears trust what Fields can be with better help in the future.
“He’s one of the most accurate quarterbacks coming out of the (2021) draft class,” defensive lineman Justin Jones said. “Like, one of the most accurate. Threw some crazy-ass passes in college. Threw some crazy-ass passes in the game. Like, he’s an accurate quarterback. He’s gifted in so many different ways. This is why we can score in so many different ways, which makes him even more dangerous than people thought he was. Once we start getting some pieces around him and start actually building an actual scheme for him that can really showcase every athletic talent that he has, ability he has, it’s going to be real dangerous.
“We just laid the foundation, so it’s tough right now. But at the end of the day, we’re going to get some more pieces in here, we’re going to get some good guys in here. We got a lot of good talent here already. We got a lot of talent in the building. Justin Fields, having a franchise quarterback like that, a lot of people are still looking for theirs. We found ours.”
Bears running back Khalil Herbert, who entered the NFL with Fields in 2021, echoed Jones' thoughts.
“Shoot, he’s special,” Herbert said of Fields. “He’s special. As far as he goes, we go. I’m excited for what’s going to happen next year and what we’ll be able to do.”
As Fields finished an early lunch Monday, he was already looking forward to meeting with Poles on the second floor of Halas Hall. Fields is eager to see how he can contribute in the Bears' potentially transformational offseason. For his part, Fields plans to have some downtime to open this offseason before inviting teammates down to Georgia to train for the 2023 season.
The Bears currently own eight selections in the 2023 draft, including the No. 1 overall pick, and have around $118 million in projected salary cap space. Poles and the front office are well-positioned to build the team around Fields in his third year, with the hopes of sustained success to come.
“I mean, I know Ryan has a great understanding of what needs to be done around here, what holes we might need to fill and stuff like that,” Fields said. “That's not my job to control any of that.
"Whatever he’s going to do, I fully trust him. His goal is to make the best team he can for us. I know he’s going to do a great job of that. We're going to get better and work in the offseason.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
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