The day Bears fans have been waiting for is finally here: Rookie quarterback Justin Fields is making his preseason debut against the Dolphins.
Throughout training camp, Fields has consistently been making “wow” plays that have left many captivated. Now, the rest of the NFL world, including Bears fans, finally get to see that with their own eyes.
Following some early growing pains, Fields has been progressing through the summer, which culminated with his breakout practice against the Dolphins on Friday.
The Bears are already aware of Fields’ ability to make something out of nothing and that natural arm talent he’s been flashing throughout camp. But there’s something else they want to see from Fields when he takes the field against the Dolphins — which could help him win the starting job sooner rather than later.
“I’m told the Chicago Bears feel that Justin Fields’ command of the offense is improving every day,” Jeremy Fowler said on ESPN Saturday morning. “They know he can make the athletic play, the spectacular play. They want to see him today mastering the nuances of their offense.”
“I’m told the Chicago Bears feel that Justin Fields' command of the offense is improving every day. They know he can make the athletic play, the spectacular play. They want to see him today mastering the nuances of their offense."
– @JFowlerESPN on ESPN— Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) August 14, 2021
Fields is expected to get plenty of reps against the Dolphins, where he’s likely to play well into the second half, and he’ll have plenty of opportunities to show his understanding of the offense.
“I would say that for Justin, [he’ll play] for sure past halftime,” said head coach Matt Nagy. “I hate to say that anything is 100 percent, but the mindset going into it is he’s going to get a lot of reps. Does that take him into the fourth quarter? Maybe. Who knows? We’ll see. But the more reps we can get him right now, the better. It’s only going to help him.”
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