Bears rookie Justin Fields has garnered a ton of hype since he was drafted by Chicago, and that excitement has also been palpable among his teammates and coaches, who have raved about him since the offseason.
While Fields looks to assume the starting role this week with starter Andy Dalton nursing a bone bruise in his knee — an injury that could sideline him several weeks — the rookie has already left an impression on his defensive teammates.
As the backup quarterback, Fields served as the scout team quarterback, where he was going against the starting defense in practice for two weeks. And he certainly left an impression on defensive lineman Bilal Nichols, who raved about his abilities.
“He can put a ball on a dime,” Nichols said. “Some of the windows he squeezes the ball into, the accuracy throwing on the run, it’s incredible. … He’s a tremendous player. He has a lot of upside. He’s definitely going to be a dude in this league.”
Bilal Nichols said of Justin Fields: "He can put a ball on a dime. Some of the windows he squeezes the ball into, the accuracy throwing on the run, it’s incredible. … He’s a tremendous player. He has a lot of upside. He’s definitely going to be a dude in this league."
— Chris Emma (@CEmma670) September 21, 2021
Fields saw his first extended action in the NFL in relief of Dalton, who exited the game after suffering a knee injury during a scramble, but it was a rough outing for the rookie.
While Fields was shaky, making some expected rookie mistakes and having obvious miscues with the starting offense given his lack of first-team reps, he should fare better with a full week of practice and a game plan specifically catered to him.
Despite the mistakes, Fields flashed his ability against the Bengals, including his mobility and insane ball placement, where receiver Allen Robinson dropped an easy touchdown pass.
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