The quarterback class from the 2021 NFL draft is turning out to be Trevor Lawrence and just a bunch of dudes. Lawrence was the only one of the five selected in the first round who got his fifth-year option picked up this offseason. Not exactly a ringing endorsement of the group.
One of those quarterbacks is current Pittsburgh Steelers backup quarterback Justin Fields. The Chicago Bears selected Fields with the No. 11 overall pick in that draft. Jump ahead three seasons and the Bears basically gave him to the Steelers and are trying again with No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams.
Fields was a polarizing character as the Bears starting quarterback, and according to NFL writer Tyler Dunne, at least one Chicago coach was highly critical of Fields:
Watch his eyes. He tries to see the whole thing and doesn’t see anything. His eyes are all over the place and it’s just really hard to watch. It’s just bad football.
That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement, but it is not surprising either. Fields flashed greatness in his highlights, but the Bears really struggled to put him in a position for him to be successful unless he was relying heavily on his athleticism.
It’s hard to say how much better Fields will get this season backing up Russell Wilson in this new-look Steelers offense, or whether he will even see the field.
[lawrence-auto-related count=3]