There was a ton of excitement for Bears rookie Justin Fields’ preseason debut on Saturday, and he certainly didn’t disappoint.
After a slow start, Fields led the Bears on three scoring drives, including a pair of Fields touchdowns — one on the ground and one threw the air to tight end Jesse James.
But it wasn’t Fields’ stat line that stood out. It was all in the eye test, and Fields looked the part of a franchise quarterback, whether he was making things happen with his arm or his legs.
And while it’s far too early to determine how Fields stacks up with the other first-round rookie quarterbacks of this draft class for the long term, the immediate comparisons are naturally going to happen.
CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin believes Fields had the best preseason debut of the group.
Ranking the preseason debuts of the QBs drafted in the first round:
(By @CodyJBenjamin)
1. Justin Fields
2. Trey Lance
3. Zach Wilson
4. Mac Jones
5. Trevor Lawrence pic.twitter.com/RvVYMKoFbk— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) August 16, 2021
Here’s what Benjamin said about Fields debut, ranking it first among rookie QBs:
Not gonna lie: Andy Dalton looks pretty cool with that new beard/goatee. But Fields looks pretty cool as the Bears’ QB, mainly because he looks like the modern-day prototype there. Yes, it’s early, and he started slow after entering in the second quarter. But he finished as both victor and headliner, showcasing his dual-threat talent by extending plays, avoiding big hits and firing strong passes. His physical skill set certainly looks more like top 10-draft-pick material. Bears fans are already impatient for his real debut.
Fields, who completed 14-of-20 passes for 142 yards and one touchdown and added five rushes for 33 yards and a score, also had the highest passer rating of all five first-round rookie quarterbacks.
Passer Ratings of first-round QBs in their preseason debuts:
5. Mac Jones (78.2)
4. Zach Wilson (86.8)
3. Trevor Lawrence (90.5)
2. Trey Lance (93.7)
1. JUSTIN FIELDS (106.7)— The Chicago Audible (@ChicagoAudible) August 15, 2021
While it’s just one preseason game, there’s certainly plenty to be excited about in terms of Fields’ future in Chicago. And the good news is, we’ve still got two more preseason games to watch Fields continue to grow. Then, we might have a little bit of a wait until Fields takes the reins in the regular season.
