Daniel Kelly spent four years in pro scouting with the New York Jets. He is the published author of the book “Whatever It Takes,” the story of a fan making it into the NFL.
I’m torn on Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields, who’s the equivalent to an NFL scout riding a roller coaster at Six Flags. You’re in for a lot of intense highs with the 24-year-old QB and a lot of nerve-wracking lows.
Clearly, he has his faults. For one, Fields holds the ball far longer when passing than any other NFL starting QB, per Next Gen Stats (3.23 seconds), well behind the leader, Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa (2.36 seconds). NFL defenses will feast on QBs who hold the ball too long.
Fields is polarizing. A faction of the NFL community urges Chicago to dump him and draft Southern Cal QB Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. (Per Pro Football Focus, his release time is 3.21 seconds.)
Another faction sees Fields’ wonderful skills on full display in a rout of Atlanta in Week 17 (20-for-32, 268 yards passing, 45 yards rushing) and agrees with Bears fans, who chanted that day, “We want Fields!”
This quandary got me to glue myself to the kitchen table for two days and grind through every snap of Fields’ 13 games this season. (He missed four games because of an injured thumb on his passing hand.)
I found Fields’ tapes laced with breathtaking plays and “what are you thinking?” moments. The film also left me wondering about Chicago’s offensive staff, which doesn’t seem to play to Fields’ strengths.
For example, Fields has had success with a moving pocket, which makes defenses more reactive to the QB and buys receivers time to get open. But the Bears don’t do much with a moving pocket, which has led to Fields getting sacked 44 times, the fifth most in the league.
Fields’ tape is also littered with mistakes that can break an offensive coordinator’s heart — nine interceptions, 24 passes broken (per my charting) and 10 fumbles (per StatMuse). Plus, he has produced a measly four passing plays of 40+ yards, per NFL.com.
But enough with negatives. Here’s what Fields does well and my assessment of what the Bears should do with him this offseason.
1. Run, Justin, run
Despite the high sack total, Fields is slippery in the pocket, and once out in the open, he accelerates and can easily make a defender miss. In fact, many of his 124 carries for 657 yards this season were not designed runs but rather the result of him holding the ball too long and taking off from the pocket. He’s a gifted runner and a threat similar to Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson.
2. Downfield minded
It’s easy to see on film that in Fields’ mind he’s a QB first ⎯ and a runner a distant second. He has the uncanny ability (to a fault when he can’t feel pressure) to keep his eyes downfield. This additionally enables him to improvise when going down, somehow completing short passes occasionally.
3. Short-to-intermediate passing game
Fields has tremendous pocket maturity when he’s not overthinking it. He gets the ball out of his hand fast on short lateral screens or over the middle to his tight end. He’s decent (but inconsistent) doing this at the intermediate level (11-19 yards).
Bottom line
It’s a tough call, but I’d stick with Fields and build around his strengths. He’s improving as a passer, upping his completion percentage each season since 2021 from 58.9% to 60.4% to 61.4%.
Another indication Fields is the guy surfaced in Week 12 against the Vikings, when he began playing with even more urgency and determination. This really was especially evident on film in Week 16 against the Falcons.
The regular-season finale against the Packers put a little damper on his momentum. In Chicago’s 17-9 loss, Green Bay sacked him five times and disrupted three passes. Running a conservative game plan, Fields went 11-of-16 for 148 yards and no touchdowns or interceptions.
After reviewing my 2021 NFL Draft report on Fields, however, I am reminded that the third-year QB can be a showstopper — a slightly younger version of probable 2023 NFL MVP Jackson, who’s 26. Behind Jackson, Fields is the second-fastest quarterback to reach the milestones of 5,000 yards passing and 2,000 rushing.
Chicago has a unique chance in the 2024 NFL Draft to build around Fields. With the No. 1 overall pick and a No. 9 selection in the first round, the Bears can add a great receiver (Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr.) and a top-notch offensive lineman.
The Bears (7-10) and Fields are trending up. Dance with the QB who brought you this far, Chicago.
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