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Bears tight end Jimmy Graham has seen his share of elite quarterback play in his career, playing with the likes of Drew Brees, Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers.
And when he was asked about the elite potential of Bears rookie Justin Fields, Graham believes he has the makings of an elite quarterback.
“He definitely does,” Graham said. “I’ve seen it for more than a decade now and he definitely has those attributes. He has that ability to be able to torque his body and get leverage and speed through it, even when he’s running to the right.”
What other attributes does Fields have that goes into an elite QB in the making?
“The way he can spin the ball,” Graham said. “The last few weeks you’ve even seen him on the move with some really impressive throws going left, which a lot of quarterbacks struggle throwing that way. That’s extremely impressive.
“The kid has so much talent. He has a lot of upside and it’s fun to see the growth.”
Fields had his best game of the season against the Steelers in Week 9, where Graham was the recipient of Fields’ most impressive throw of his young NFL career. Fields found Graham for a 28-yard completion down the seam with pressure in his face.
“Unbelievable read there, and pass,” Graham said. “He saw the safety was a bit cheated over on the hash and he gave me a ball that really kept me safe. That’s what is so unbelievable about it. A lot of younger guys would then try to bend you in a little bit. But it was just a perfect pass, man. It was unbelievable.”
Fields has just seven NFL starts under his belt, and there are still eight games left this season for the rookie to continue to develop. While things got off to a rocky start, Fields is finally settling in and continuing to build confidence with each passing game.