T.J. Edwards Sees One Justin Fields-Jalen Hurts Similarity Others Don’t
It’s hard not to connect Justin Fields and Jalen Hurts. The two quarterbacks came into the NFL with similar stories. They were young black men at a position long considered white only. They had stellar college careers that included trips to the national championship. Both are excellent athletes, capable of feats with their legs that few others dream of. Lastly, both also came into the NFL with questions about their ability to play the quarterback position from the pocket. For Hurts, it was his overall arm capabilities and run-first mentality. For Fields, it’s his vision and processing speed.
Everybody knows the story from here. Hurts slowly transformed himself into a capable pocket quarterback, aided by a solid offensive system that worked to his strengths as well as a terrific supporting cast in Philadelphia. His 2022 season was MVP-caliber, leading the Eagles to the Super Bowl. T.J. Edwards was there. He watched it all unfold as a member of Philadelphia’s defense. Now he is a teammate of Fields after signing with the Chicago Bears. People are hoping he can take a similar leap to Hurts in 2023. Does the linebacker see any similarities? Yes, but not the one you’d think.
He explained on SiriusXM Radio.
“One thing with Jalen was he was always just kind of calm and collected. That’s why we looked to him so much, just because he was always that calming factor. You do see similarities with J Fields. He doesn’t seem to get rattled out there in terms of when we’re mixing up looks on him and stuff like that. Just from what I’ve seen with my first year — him just throwing the ball. Dude’s got such a strong arm, and he’s been very accurate just about this entire OTAs and minicamp. It’s exciting to see, especially since he doesn’t really add in the leg factor when we’re just in helmets and things like that. I’m really excited to play with a guy like that, a guy who can make all the plays who can also lead this team. He’s definitely the guy, so it’s exciting to be around. No doubt.”
Justin Fields understands a critical trait of QBs.
Legendary head coach Paul Brown said the key to success in the NFL is the ability to handle the “highs and lows.” It’s vital to never let your emotions sway too far in either direction. If a quarterback throws a touchdown pass? Good. Go do it again. If he throws an interception? Oh well. Forget about it and do better in the next series. A lot of quarterbacks can’t do that. They let one bad mistake affect their play for the rest of the game. Hurts isn’t somebody prone to that. He has that rare ability to move past mistakes.
So does Justin Fields. There were several instances last season where the Bears quarterback made a costly turnover. Rather than obsess over what went wrong, he often went back out on the next series and made a big play. Look at the game against the Lions at Soldier Field. He throws an ugly pick-six to Jeff Okudah to let Detroit tie the game. Five plays later, he busted out a 67-yard touchdown run. He’s never rattled.
Edwards can see it. He knows how valuable a quarterback with such a temperament can be. The last obstacle to clear is Fields’ ability to play from the pocket. With a retooled offensive line and a shiny new weapon in D.J. Moore, it feels like that time is approaching.