Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields showed just how dynamic of a playmaker he could be during a semi-breakout 2022 season. While he still has some work to do as a passer, there may not be a more dangerous player in the NFL with their legs than Justin Fields.
The 2021 first-round pick was a driving force on the ground last season as the Bears finished with the No. 1 rushing attack in the NFL. Given the fact that they went 3-14 and were losing a bunch, it is quite impressive they were able to rack up that kind of production on the ground when they spent plenty of second halves needing to throw the ball to stay in the game.
What Justin Fields accomplished as a runner despite teams knowing the Bears couldn’t throw the ball was remarkable. He ran the ball 160 times for 1,143 yards, which was seventh in the league, and eight touchdowns, leading the league with 7.1 yards per carry.
Had he not missed two games because of injury, Justin Fields very likely would have rewritten the NFL record books as well. He finished only 63 yards short of the single-season rushing record for a quarterback, which was set by Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens during the 2019 season.
There is certainly no debate that Justin Fields is among the best running quarterbacks in the NFL as the skill set of players at the position changes. But, he considers himself in a much higher class.
During a recent appearance on the All Things Covered Podcast via NFL on CBS, Justin Fields revealed that he believes he is among the top-five rushing quarterbacks of all time. His list was rounded out by Jackson, Michael Vick, Cam Newton and Steve Young.
You can’t knock a player for having supreme confidence in their skill set, which Justin Fields isn’t lacking for. While some people would argue he is not yet on that list, he certainly isn’t far from it.
If he can put together another season with the same efficiency that he did in 2022, there will be little debate against Justin Fields being one of the best running quarterbacks in NFL history. Breaking Jackson’s record would certainly strengthen his case.
