(Audacy) Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has blossomed into a star this season, and Philadelphia is greatly reaping the benefits.
With that in mind, Audacy Sports insider Michael Irvin believes it's possible that second-year Bears quarterback Justin Fields could elevate his team in the same way in Chicago.
Hurts showed a ton of promise his first two years in the NFL, but he has really put it all together this season. Following an offseason that saw the Eagles load up on both sides of the ball, Hurts taking such a big leap has also helped turn Philadelphia into an NFC powerhouse that sits at 12-1.
This Sunday at Soldier Field, the Eagles will play a Bears team that sits at the bottom of the NFC. The 23-year-old Fields is one of the few Bears players to be excited about, and just about any defensive player who has faced him will tell you how much of a threat he is.
Fields hasn’t seen much success yet in terms of wins in his NFL career, but Irvin is a big fan of him. He could do for the Bears what Hurts has done for the Eagles, Irvin said on the Mully & Haugh Show on Wednesday morning.
“It is absolutely a possibility, you better believe it is," Irvin said. "Justin Fields has shown that this year. He has made great strides. Now it’s important and imperative to do what the Eagles have done. They did what they needed to do to put who they had to put around him.
“Even (Cowboys star) Micah Parsons right now, people are talking about what he said, 'Is it Jalen Hurts or is the team around him?' You can’t take away what Jalen Hurts has done, but you also can’t take away what the team put around him, and (the Bears have) got to do the same thing around Justin Fields.”
Fields has completed 61.9% of his passes for 1,896 yards, 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while adding 905 yards and eight scores on the ground in 12 games this season.
The 2022 Bears have more roster holes than the 2021 Eagles did, and general manager Ryan Poles has a lot of work to do in both the draft and free agency to bring his team back to relevance. Barring a surprise, that will be a process that takes a few years.
But if you have the quarterback position figured out, building out the rest of the roster becomes a lot easier. Fields is showing promise, and now it’s time for the Bears to see what he can do with a more complete cast around him.
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