The Bears are sitting atop the 2023 NFL draft with the first overall pick, which has led to plenty of hot takes about how Chicago should take a quarterback and move on from Justin Fields.
At this point, the assumption that the Bears should trade Fields is absurd considering how he flashed in less-than-ideal circumstances in his second season. It’s unfair to assess Fields behind one of the worst offensive lines in the league and arguably the league’s worst receiving corp.
Fields was a guest on The Rich Eisen Show Thursday at the Super Bowl, where he addressed the trade speculation for the first time.
“How I look at it is just controlling the controllables,” Fields said. “No matter what happens with me, I can control what I can control, and that’s how I approach the game. That’s how I train for the game and how I carry myself within the game.”
Has @JustnFields heard all the talk that the @ChicagoBears might use the first overall pick on a QB and trade him? Have the Bears told him anything yet on their draft plans at all? Check out his answers ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/rjemc0aXTR
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) February 9, 2023
Fields had a breakout season in Year 2, where he set the league on fire with his electric runs and elite athleticism. He rushed for 1,143 yards, falling just 64 yards shy of Lamar Jackson’s single-season rushing record, and he broke several records in the process.
But Fields will be the first to admit that he needs to improve. In fact, he says he hasn’t even scratched the surface of what he can accomplish.
“I think I’ve shown a little bit, but I don’t think I’ve shown the world what I can do in terms of playing the full quarterback position and playing it consistently,” Fields said. “I think there were , some times this year where I was better than others. Like my last game of the season against the Lions, that wasn’t a good game. So just being more consistent for my teammates, for my coaches, for the fan base. Once I do that, once I just keep progressing and keep getting better, then I’ll be good.”
For what it’s worth, it doesn’t sound like the Bears are moving on from Fields. If anything, it sounds like Chicago is trying to increase the value of that top selection. General manager Ryan Poles said he’d have to be “blown away” by a prospect to consider taking them at No. 1.
Poles is doing his best job selling it. Now, Fields is doing his part.
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