Learning to play quarterback at the professional level is the most challenging thing in professional sports. It requires so much in the way of mental and physical prowess. There is a reason only a handful of people on the planet can play it at a high level. Justin Fields is striving to become one of that select group. He’s already shown he has the physical tools to be great. The big question was whether he could master the mental side of the game, whether it was reading defenses or processing coverages. Head coach Matt Eberflus believes the Chicago Bears quarterback has taken significant strides in that direction.
One of the biggest indicators of this is how Fields has evolved as a passer. One of the persistent issues he suffered from as a rookie and through the first two months of 2022 was a tendency to hold the ball. The common reason for this was waiting for a wide receiver to come open. This is a common issue with young quarterbacks. They are used to receivers creating far more space in college. The NFL doesn’t let that happen. To become successful, a quarterback must learn to trust his receivers by giving them a chance to make plays. Throw the ball up there if it’s a one-on-one situation or heave it down the field and let them go get it.
Fields has done that far more in recent weeks. His latest example was the gorgeous 44-yard bomb to Velus Jones against Buffalo. Eberflus believes that is a clear sign of his progress.
Matt Eberflus knows what the next step is.
It is finding wide receivers that are worthy of this trust. Right now, the Bears don’t have the array of targets necessary to help Fields flourish. Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool are both injured. Neither are true #1 targets anyway. Dante Pettis, N’Keal Harry, and Equanimeous St. Brown are backups masquerading as starters. The Bears need somebody everyone in the stadium knows will catch the ball whenever it’s thrown his way. A Brandon Marshall type. He was the closest thing this organization had to such a star.
Of course, finding such talent is never easy. Matt Eberflus must trust GM Ryan Poles to figure that out. Until then, he must continue working with Fields to make the best of a difficult situation. The numbers will never tell the story, but what the young QB has done this year deserves tons of praise. He made a 1999 Toyota run like a Ferrari for much of the season despite his receivers constantly letting him down with poor routes and dropped passes. There should be lots of excitement about where he’s headed next season.
