CHICAGO (670 The Score) – Since he first touched down in this city last spring, Bears rookie quarterback Justin Fields didn't know how his opportunity would unfold.
All Fields was told upon joining the Bears as the No. 11 pick in NFL Draft was that he would begin as the backup to veteran quarterback Andy Dalton and he should keep working to become the starter. The 22-year-old Fields has taken that message to heart and progressed faster than coach Matt Nagy ever expected.
For his part, Fields envisioned he would be better in his first significant playing time than he was in the Bears' 20-17 win against the Bengals at Soldier Field on Sunday afternoon, when Fields stepped in after Dalton suffered a left knee injury in the second quarter. Fields helped lead his team to victory but also failed to meet his own high standards.
“I don’t think I’m pleased with how I played at all,” Fields said. “There’s a lot more in me that I have to show. I know it’s not going to happen overnight, so I’m just going to keep grinding. No matter what happens, I know I’m meant for this. I’m meant to be here.”
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Fields went 6-of-13 for 60 yards and an interception and added 10 carries for 31 yards on the ground. His statistics were set back by a pair of costly drops, including what would've been a 35-yard touchdown to receiver Allen Robinson in the fourth quarter. Receiver Darnell Mooney also dropped a deep pass.
Even so, Fields’ arrival as the Bears’ quarterback was more than enough to excite Soldier Field in its first game at full capacity since December 2019. He ran out to the huddle after Dalton’s left knee buckled awkwardly on a 14-yard scramble early in the second quarter, and the 60,840 fans in attendance rose to their feet.
“Everybody trusts him,” Mooney said of Fields.
Though Fields didn’t stand out in the box score and quickly acknowledged his own disappointment, he showed enough to inspire confidence. While Dalton will undergo further testing on his knee early this week, Nagy didn't commit to him returning as the starter if healthy.
For the first time since the Bears drafted Fields, Nagy left open the possibility that he could be the starter. It’s because he has prepared himself to start in an interesting manner. During each play in practice led by Dalton, Fields will stand alongside quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo and repeat the call. He then observes how it unfolds.
Fields also has each play sent to his team-issued iPad so he can study it closely, and he later returns to an empty practice field with DeFilippo and a practice squad wide receiver to walk through the plays together.
“He’s probably further along than we thought at this point right now,” Nagy said. “If (Fields is the starter), then we feel good about it. He’s worked really, really hard to get to this point. Even today in that moment as a rookie, coming on in in that situation, super calm, super cool.”
Now, Fields has his own plays to watch on film. He can watch his fourth-quarter interception and see that Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson was sitting on the passing route. He'll learn from a pair of false start penalties that he took the blame for and understand how they can be fixed. And he should certainly admire his 10-yard scramble on a crucial third-and-9 that helped the Bears finish off the Bengals late.
Fields can watch the tape all the way until the end, when he broke the huddle for his first kneels out of victory formation as a professional. He believes there are better days ahead, and Chicago feels that too. It's unclear when Fields will be the Bears' starter, but he has proved ready for the chance.
Finally, Fields can glance forward and see is future unfolding – but not without first looking back.
“When I was younger, I never thought I’d be in this position,” Fields said. “I’m here for a reason. I definitely think that I can play better. I just think this is the beginning. I’m definitely excited for the future and excited to get back to practice on Tuesday.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.