Two years later and Bears fans still can’t believe their luck that Justin Fields is their quarterback.
Fields, highly regarded as the second-best QB behind Trevor Lawrence in the pre-draft process, was the fourth quarterback taken in the 2021 NFL draft. And he fell into Chicago’s lap.
Lawrence went No. 1 overall to the Jaguars, which was expected. But the Jets rode with Zach Wilson at second overall and the 49ers, who traded three first-round picks to move up to No. 3, selected Trey Lance.
With Fields still on the board, the Bears traded up to the 11th pick to select Fields, and the rest is history. While Chicago hasn’t been an ideal situation for a young, developing quarterback, Fields has emerged as one of the NFL’s most exciting players despite the roster deficiencies around him.
Fields has made NFL history almost on a weekly basis since Week 9, where his elite athleticism have made him difficult for defenses to contend with. But people also forget Fields was an elite deep ball passer at Ohio State, which we caught a glimpse of in the Bears’ Week 13 loss to the Packers.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler was asked how he would re-draft the 2021 QB class, and his answer was on par with what many expected back during the draft process.
“Trevor Lawrence one, I think Fields would be two,” Brugler told David Kaplan on NBC Sports Chicago’s Unfiltered, via NBC Sports Chicago. “And then we’ll have to see. Let’s revisit this a year from now. Will Zach Wilson be able to turn things around? Trey Lance, what does he do coming back from injury? Can Mac Jones do anything to put his name in that conversation?
“It’s a really interesting mix of quarterbacks that we’re still trying to figure out on the fly.”
We’re less than two years into this thing, so it’s too early to start declaring who’s a bust and who’s headed to Canton. But of those five quarterbacks drafted in the first round — also including Mac Jones — it’s been Fields and Lawrence that have made strong strides in their first two seasons.
Now, let’s see what Fields looks like with a solid supporting cast.
- Bye week grades for the Bears 2022 rookie draft class
- Bears’ 2023 salary cap update at the bye week
- A glance at the Bears’ roster at the bye week
- How Jaylon Johnson is spending his bye week
- Film Room: The best and worst of Bears QB Justin Fields from Week 13
- Bears report card: How we graded Chicago at the bye week
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