Justin Fields’ improvement 'jumps out' to Bears coaches and players
The 2022 Chicago Bears season, and much of the team’s future going forward, is going to live and die by the success and growth of Justin Fields. The 23-year old showed flashes of greatness during his rookie season, but without consistent reps or strong offensive scheme, lacked the support necessary to find success in his […]
The 2022 Chicago Bears season, and much of the team’s future going forward, is going to live and die by the success and growth of Justin Fields.
The 23-year old showed flashes of greatness during his rookie season, but without consistent reps or strong offensive scheme, lacked the support necessary to find success in his rookie season. The Bears went just 2-8 with Fields as their starter in 2021.
Moving forward under the new regime of Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus, there is only one thing that matters: Setting Justin Fields up for success and building a championship caliber roster around him.
We’re yet to see how the new offense with unfold in live game action, and there have been some criticisms of the Bears offseason moves. But, according to the team’s players and coaches, the first step in the process is already unfolding, and Fields' development has stood out.
Bears head coach Matt Eberlfus and Pro-Bowl offensive lineman Cody Whitehair were both asked by the media where they’ve seen the most growth out of Fields. They both gave very different and encouraging answers.
“Luke (Getsy) and Andrew (Janocko) are doing a great job with the footwork and the timing. To me that jumps out,” said Eberflus. “You can see it in the drill work, and you can see them taking it to the 11-on-11 reps. That’s clearly getting better. I’m excited about that.”
“I just feel like he’s more comfortable,” said Whitehair. “His leadership has taken a step and that comes from him being more comfortable from year one to year two. A little more experience seeing things for a second time or third time or fourth time. He’s only going to continue to grow.”
“We like where Justin’s at and we’re really excited for the year.”
– Bears OL Cody Whitehair on quarterback Justin Fields
Both Eberflus and Whitehair citing different areas of Fields’ game that are noticeably improved is incredibly encouraging. Whitehair is a respected veteran and the longest tenured member of the Bears offense. He has been in huddles in Chicago since 2016, and he knows leadership when he sees it. He’s also not the only player to bring up the command and leadership Justin Fields has demonstrated so far:
As for the on field product, the development of Fields’ footwork and timing could be the missing piece to him taking the massive leap in the NFL. We’ve seen the intangibles on display countless times, but harnessing it and becoming more precise on the field would be huge.
It’s no wonder why Matt Eberflus has seen tremendous growth in Fields footwork and timing. From what we’ve seen that’s been a big point of emphasis. And with Luke Getsy and Andrew Janocko working on polishing their star QB, Eberflus' lofty expectations for year two make a little more sense.
Now, Dak Prescott production may be a bit of an unrealistic expectation for the 2022 season. It’s important to remember that when Prescott first entered the league, he was supported by one of the best offensive lines in all of football. He also had Dez Bryant, Jason Witten, and Ezekiel Elliott to make things a bit easier.
It is, however, good to know that the Bears have a model for how they want Fields to develop. In case you forgot, Matt Eberflus was the passing game coordinator in Dallas during the first two years of Prescott’s career. He’s done it before.
Everything about the Bears future hinges on Fields and his development. As the 2022 season continues to get closer, hearing about the noticeable improvements to his game are awfully encouraging. I can’t wait for things to hit full speed and see just how drastic the jump might be.
Image via Kamil Krzaczynski – USA TODAY Sports
