Bear Necessities: Justin Fields cracks ESPN’s top 100 players of 2022 list

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It was a memorable season for Bears quarterback Justin Fields, who burst onto the scene as one of the league’s most exciting young players. And he managed to do it with an underwhelming supporting cast.

ESPN’s Seth Walder shared his list of the top 100 most valuable players of 2022, and Fields made the cut at No. 77. Which speaks to just how impactful Fields was in his second season.

Fields was electric on the ground, which was born out of necessity behind an offensive line that struggled in pass protection. He rushed for 1,143 yards, falling just 64 yards short of Lamar Jackson’s single-season rushing record, and eight touchdowns.

Fields set the NFL single-game rushing record for a quarterback with 178 rushing yards against the Dolphins in Week 9 (and his cleats are sitting in the Pro Football Hall of Fame). Not to mention, he set a number of other records (almost on a weekly basis).

Chicago’s passing game struggled all season, which was due to a number of factors including the offensive line, receivers and even Fields himself. He completed 60.4 percent of his passes for 2,242 yards with 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

General manager Ryan Poles and Fields himself admitted he needs to improve in the passing game, which will be a big focal point for Fields (and Poles) this offseason.