This year will be different for Justin Fields, at least at the beginning. While he entered his rookie NFL season knowing that Andy Dalton would start, this time he is prepared to be under center when the 2022 campaign gets underway.
The Bears have unexpectedly found the chance of selecting him with the 11th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but they took their time before giving him the reins. But after a terrible season and with a different head coach at the helm, his time has come.
Fields had his ups and downs last year, but he showed enough glimpses of his talent to make people feel excited about him. And his teammates' recent comments will only fuel those expectations.
Bears teammates optimistic about Justin Fields
"You just feel him in the huddle," Bears tight end Cole Kmet said, per ESPN. "He's not just repeating the play, he's telling you the play, and there's a difference in that. That gives me confidence as a player out in the field. He's talking to each guy. It's not just a repeat-a-play, he's telling us a play, which is a difference."
"He wants to take over the league," Chicago wideout Darnell Mooney said. "He's already Justin Fields. He wants to be the best quarterback in the league. He's taken the stride to be there. I got unbelievable faith that he will be there, and his success is my success. So, as long as he's doing good, I'm doing good, we're all doing good."
For a long time, Chicago was far from satisfied with its quarterback situation. That has changed since Fields arrived. From the very first moment, the Bears felt they finally had a potential franchise signal-caller in their hands. Now it's time to see whether he proves them right.
