The Chicago Bears entered the 2021 offseason with a major question mark at the quarterback position. They had declined the fifth-year option on Mitchell Trubisky, meaning they would once again be in the market for a long-term answer at the position. Justin Fields may be their answer.
The team had Nick Foles already on the roster and signed veteran Andy Dalton in free agency. Dalton is expected to be the starter in Week 1, but the team’s outlook at the position changed drastically during the 2021 NFL Draft.
Seeing an opportunity to take a swing for the fences, the Bears’ front office took a shot. They traded up to the No. 11 spot with the New York Giants, sending them a 2021 first-round pick, 2021 fifth-round pick, 2022 first-round pick and 2022 fourth-round pick in the process.
With the 11th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Bears selected Ohio State quarterback, Justin Fields. Fields is a true dual-threat quarterback that tore up the Big 12 after transferring to Ohio State from Georgia.
In two years as the Buckeyes’ starter, Fields completed 68.4 percent of his passes and compiled 5,373 passing yards. He threw for 63 touchdowns and only had nine interceptions. He was just as impactful on the ground, rushing for 867 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Will that translate to the next level with the Bears? Let’s take a look
What To Expect From Justin Fields In 2021
Projecting what Justin Fields will do as a rookie is difficult. It is not for a lack of talent on Fields part, but instead the uncertainty of when he will take over as the team’s starting quarterback.
Head coach Matt Nagy has remained steadfast in saying that Andy Dalton will be the team’s starter come Week 1. The Bears do not have their bye until Week 10, so it is tough to imagine that Dalton will start more than half of the team’s games this season.
Well, based on what oddsmakers believe, Fields will be on the bench to start the season. They have made Dalton a heavy favorite to be the Bears’ starter in Week 1.
If that is the case, expectations for Fields have to be tempered. The Bears could use him similarly to how he was used as a freshman at Georgia, getting onto the field with some specific packages. In 12 games at Georgia, Fields threw the ball 39 times and had 42 rush attempts.
The Bears are going to compete for a playoff spot this season with Nagy possibly being on the hot seat. While he may be more comfortable going with the veteran Dalton in the early going, there is no denying that Fields has more upside.
Without a starting job from Day 1, Fields will have a very modest rookie season. He will get out on the field eventually as the starter, but not as early as some people would like. He will throw for 1,250 yards and 10 touchdowns as a rookie, adding 250 rushing yards and another three scores on the ground.
If he happens to get the starting job in Week 1, Justin Fields has legitimate Rookie of the Year upside with his dual-threat ability and having a legitimate No. 1 receiver in Allen Robinson to throw the ball to.
