Justin Fields was not given much of an opportunity to succeed in his rookie year with the Chicago Bears, and things don’t look much better for him heading into 2022. If the former Ohio State star can’t make the best of a tough situation, he may have to find a new employer.
In his latest Bears mailbag, Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic said Fields will be under pressure to “show growth” next season even if posting a winning record is an unrealistic goal. If that doesn’t happen, the Bears may look elsewhere in 2023.
“Fields’ rookie performance comes with a lot of disclaimers, and some are legitimate, but the struggles can’t be fully ignored,” Fishbain wrote. “If the sack numbers remain high, if he’s not doing a good job taking care of the football, and if he’s not leading scoring drives often enough, then the organization might have to consider the possibility that he isn’t the guy. We’ll learn a lot about how much of 2021’s struggles should fall on Fields by how he does in 2022.”
The Bears are not expected to be a playoff contender next season. They traded Khalil Mack to the Los Angeles Chargers and let Allen Robinson walk in free agency. Though, they did sign one player who attributed his decision to the presence of Fields.
Fields played in 12 games for Chicago last season and finished with 1,870 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Again, he didn’t have much help. The odds are definitely stacked against him, so it will be interesting to see the type of standard the Bears hold him to.
Photo: May 15, 2021; Lake Forest, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields (1) warms up during the NFL football team’s rookie minicamp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
