Justin Fields did not play on Thursday night during the Chicago Bears’ 16-13 victory over the Carolina Panthers, but he appeared to enjoy the game nonetheless.
With 8:07 remaining in the fourth quarter and Chicago nursing a three-point lead, Amazon cameras panned to a smiling Fields who then seemed to poke fun at his struggling counterpart, Panthers quarterback Bryce Young.
Justin Fields was seen on the sideline saying “Roll Tide”.
Was he taking a shot at Bryce Young? 😳 pic.twitter.com/BbwJVL5pHy
— Touchdown Alabama (@TDAlabamaMag) November 10, 2023
“Roll Tide,” Fields appeared to be seen saying.
The infamous Alabama Crimson Tide rallying cry could only be interpreted as a slight to Young, who is a Nick Saban product. The oddity of the moment is that Chicago was barely hanging onto a lead and facing a crucial third-and-6, which they failed to convert.
Young, who completed 21 of his 38 pass attempts for 185 yards on the night, did position Carolina to tie the game with under 2:00 remaining, but kicker Eddy Pineiro came up just short on a 59-yard field goal attempt.
Fields may have gotten the last laugh on Thursday but it won’t erase his memories of the 2020-2021 National Championship Game. The then-Ohio State quarterback completed just 17 of his 33 pass attempts in that game en route to a 52-24 loss against Alabama.
Fields has missed the past four games while recovering from a dislocated thumb suffered in a Week 6 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. His future in Chicago is very much up in the air, and he’s really in no place to be mocking other underperforming quarterbacks, if that’s indeed what he was doing.
