One of the biggest storylines of the early season is the continued struggles of Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields.
Entering the 2023 season, some believed he could be a dark-horse MVP candidate.
Two games into the season, Fields is as lost as ever. All-22 clips of him not processing defenses and not seeing wide open receivers have gone viral on social media.
There’s great concern that he is a bust and is simply not starting quarterback material.
Former head coach and current ESPN NFL analyst Rex Ryan became the latest to weigh in on Fields’ performance.
Ryan believes Fields “is a special talent, but it looks like the Bears coaches are trying to make him a pocket passer and every NFL defensive coordinator is saying thank you for not rolling him out of the pocket.”
Former NFL head coach Rex Ryan said on ESPN that Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields is a special talent but it looks like the Bears coaches are trying to make him a pocket passer and every NFL defensive coordinator is saying thank you for not rolling him out of the pocket.
— Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) September 18, 2023
The one highlight of Fields’ 2022 season is when he led the Bears to a semi-miraculous road win over the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football.
The damage he did on the ground with legs made all the difference as Chicago pulled off the stunning upset that night.
As Ryan said, the Bears seem intent on making Fields a pocket passer, which is certainly not a strength of his.
In fairness to Chicago’s coaching staff, to be a franchise quarterback you have to be effective as a pocket passer. For better or worse, they need to know exactly what they have in Fields.
Perhaps this is why they’re trying to make him throw from the pocket so they can evaluate him. However, so far, he’s failing – and failing miserably.
Fields’ struggles have been apparent in his statistics so far this season. He has completed just 61% of his passes for 427 yards and two touchdowns, but his three interceptions have been costly for the Bears.
The Bears currently sit at 0-2 in the early part of the season, and their next challenge doesn’t get any easier. They are set to face the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, where they are once again considered underdogs.
What do you think of Fields as a quarterback?
Bears fans are quickly losing patience with him – Can he turn it around in Chicago?
Or is he just another bust?