Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields had a rocky rookie season in 2021, completing just 58.9 percent of his passes for 1,870 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Now entering his second season, the 23-year-old will have to adjust to a new head coach, new offensive coordinator and new offensive system.
That’s a difficult task for veteran quarterbacks to handle, let alone second-year starters. But retired Bears quarterback Jay Cutler remains hopeful that Fields will eventually figure it all out.
“If the Bears start winning . . . I hope they do. And I hope Justin is successful, and I hope he’s the next big thing here and he’s the best quarterback to come out of Chicago Bears history,” Cutler told the Chicago Sun Times.
Cutler, who is the Bears’ all-time leader in passing yards and touchdown passes, believes Fields has all the tools to become an elite NFL quarterback. But like many others, he fears that the coaching changes may slow things down.
“I like him . . . he’s got all the tools, but it’s the same problem the Bears have had for a long time: They’re turning over coaches and turning over OCs,” Cutler said. “It’s hard for a quarterback. You look across the league, and the guys that are really good at quarterback have the same coaches and same systems each year.
“This is like learning a different language. It’s like if I told you: ‘Hey, you’ve gotta learn Spanish this year, and next year learn Italian and the next year learn Chinese,’ it’s not gonna be easy.”
In order for Fields to reach his potential, the Bears will need to find stability among their coaching staff. And in order to find stability among their coaching staff, they’ll need to win. It’s a vicious cycle, and Fields is right there at the center of it.
