Justin Fields has generated plenty of buzz in his first NFL training camp, and he will have even more opportunities to prove himself in practice this week.
Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy told reporters on Monday that Fields will get more time with the offensive starters and against the No. 1 defense this week. The coach said the plan is “part of the evaluation process.”
Nagy has maintained all offseason that Andy Dalton will start for the Bears in Week 1. However, many fans want to see Fields play after the way he has performed in practice and the preseason. Nagy seemed less certain about naming Dalton the Week 1 starter when asked about the situation on Monday, though he did say Dalton is still QB1.
“I think Andy had six plays (in the first preseason game). It’s hard to say much good or bad about that with six plays. We’re going to get him some more snaps this coming preseason game,” Nagy said, via Kevin Patra of NFL.com. “And with Justin, I go back to what I said too, we want to be able to see live plays, live situations, he got that. The only thing he can do is to continue doing that and we have to make sure that plan allows us to evaluate how well he does knowing those circumstances. Ultimately, in the end, whatever is best for the Chicago Bears is in the end what we’re going to do.”
Fields completed 14-of-20 passes for 142 yards and a touchdown in Chicago’s exhibition win over the Miami Dolphins. The former Ohio State star also rushed for 33 yards and a score. One play in particular showed fans how he is capable of becoming a nightmare for defenses (video here).
Nagy will probably stick to his plan of starting Dalton in Week 1. However, Dalton is almost certainly going to have to play well immediately and win games in order to keep his job. If the veteran struggles, Nagy will be under a tremendous amount of pressure to give Fields a shot.
