In Chicago, the last quarterback with whom you want to be compared is Mitchell Trubisky. Well, at least when it comes to recent memory. But that is exactly what is occurring with current Bears signal-caller Justin Fields.
Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times took to X to share some statistics on Monday morning, displaying how similar Fields’ first two performances of 2023 look to Trubisky’s first couple of games in his own third season.
Fields, who played his collegiate football at Ohio State, was selected by Chicago with the 11th overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft.
The 24-year-old ended up playing in 12 games while making 10 starts during his rookie campaign, sharing time with Andy Dalton. Fields look uninspiring, to say the least. He finished with 1,870 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions while completing just 58.9 percent of his passes. On the bright side, Fields flashed his superb athleticism, totaling 420 yards with a pair of scores as a rusher.
The Bears expected Fields to take a big step forward in 2022, and while he wasn’t quite as inefficient as his rookie year, he still wasn’t great. In 15 starts, the Kennesaw, Ga. native threw for 2,242 yards, 17 touchdowns and 11 picks, completing 60.4 percent of his passes. He was great in the ground attack, racking up 1,143 yards and eight scores while averaging 7.1 yards per carry, but his passing production left much to be desired.
In Fields’ defense, his offensive line did not do him any favors last season, allowing the youngster to be sacked 55 times. Still, Chicago anticipated more from its 2021 first-round selection.
On Sunday afternoon, Fields threw a crushing pick six in the Bears’ 27-17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He went 16-for-29 with 211 yards, a touchdown and a couple of interceptions in the defeat. He also made no impact with his legs, registering just three yards on four rushing attempts.
Trubisky spent four years in the Windy City from 2017 through 2020. He never came close to living up to his expectations a No. 2 overall pick and is currently serving as Kenny Pickett’s backup in Pittsburgh. It’s still too early to say for sure, but Justin Fields appears to be headed down a similar path of disappointment.
