The Latest Justin Fields’ Work Ethic Story Might Be The Best

People will continue to question Justin Fields about his progress as a passer. Yes, it wasn’t anywhere close to elite in 2022. He only crossed the 200 yards threshold twice. That said, nobody can question the young quarterback’s effort. He endured a physical beating that would’ve broken most other quarterbacks in the league. Despite a bad offensive line and bad receiving corps, he still managed to generate points on a weekly basis for most of the year. Much of that success can be credited to his unbridled work ethic.

People have talked about how much time Fields has put into being great. He comes to the building earlier than everybody else and leaves after everybody else. Most of his waking hours are spent working out, in throwing drills or studying film. That is why he often looks so well-prepared. Never was that clearer than against the NFC-leading Philadelphia Eagles on December 18th. Even though he was sacked six times, Fields still played one of his best games with 152 yards passing, two touchdowns, and 95 yards rushing. It turns out there was a reason for this success. Albert Breer of the MMQB revealed it in a recent column.

Head coach Matt Eberflus confirmed it.

Eberflus and I finished up on this story I’d heard on Fields from the offseason, where the coaches gave the players the week off. Not only did Fields come in that week, but he gathered trainers and weight-room staff to play receiver for him so he could throw at the facility. The Bears’ coach confirmed it.

“He pulled all the trainers out and the equipment guys out, and he’s out there,” Eberflus says. “I don’t think it was that warm out that day, either. It was pretty chilly, and he’s out here ripping routes to them. It was pretty cool to see. He’s done that a couple times, but he’s always working. Like after practice, every practice, he’s out there for 45 minutes and all the receivers are out there, tight ends are out there and they’re all running routes and working on the passing game. So he works very, very hard at it.”

Which, it would seem, is another really important piece of a puzzle that is just now starting to come together.

Justin Fields is fully committed to the cause.

That is one reason he won over the locker room so fast. Everybody knows the kind of work he puts in. When your leader is doing something like that, it bleeds across the rest of the roster. That is likely why the Bears were competitive in so many games despite lacking overall talent. Correcting that problem is their primary goal over the next few months. Many believe that once Chicago has a better line and more playmakers at wide receiver, everybody will see how good Fields is.

Either way, this is another reminder that Bears fans should appreciate Justin Fields. It is still too early to know how high he’ll ascend as an NFL quarterback. One thing they can’t say is he lacks the desire to be the best. Quite the opposite. It is harder to find anybody more single-minded in their approach. If he does fail, it won’t be for a lack of putting in the time. That is why it’s so easy to cheer for him. The guys wants it. People like that deserve success.