Bears quarterback Justin Fields has emerged as one of the NFL’s most exciting players this season. He’s managed to find success with a depleted roster, and the future certainly looks bright for the second-year QB.
ESPN released their Top 25 players under 25, and Fields (23) landed on the list at No. 21. Fields was among four quarterbacks on the list, joining the likes of Justin Herbert, Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa.
The hottest up-and-coming quarterback in the league this season, Fields has become a true dual-threat for the Bears. His 834 rushing yards leads the team and is one of the top marks in the entire league this season. Fields must continue to develop as a passer — he is completing just 59.6% of his passes in Year 2 and has a career 14-9 touchdown-to-interception ratio — but he’s doing more with less around him than anyone in the game. He is currently out for Chicago with a shoulder injury.
While Fields got off to a rough start to his sophomore season, things changed in Week 7, when offensive coordinator Luke Getsy catered the scheme to fit Fields’ strengths. That included introducing more designed QB runs, which led to Fields showing his impressive (and record breaking) athleticism.
Fields set an NFL record with 178 rushing yards in Week 9 against the Dolphins. He followed that up with another 147 rushing yards against the Lions. Before he suffered an injury to his non-throwing shoulder, Fields was on track to break Lamar Jackson’s record of single-season rushing yards by a quarterback.
The fact that Fields has managed to find success with an underwhelming roster (with questions along the offensive line and receiver) has been impressive. Now, it’s up to general manager Ryan Poles to build around Fields and help unlock his true potential.
[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbve7kb6he6scwe player_id=none image=https://bearswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]
[listicle id=522566]