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There’s no denying Bears quarterback Justin Fields’ impressive skillset. It’s why the team traded up to acquire him in the 2021 NFL draft, and also why there’s hope that he’ll develop into a franchise quarterback.
But it’s his ownership of the offense that has stood out to offensive coordinator Luke Getsy through the first week of training camp.
“That’s what’s so special about him,” Getsy said. “Forget the athletic part. That guy, the way he attacks every single day and his approach and leads by example, doesn’t ask anybody to do anything he doesn’t expect of himself. That guy’s a natural born leader-type of guy, so we’re lucky to have a guy like that leading this thing.”
It’s something that’s been evident to wide receiver Darnell Mooney, who described Fields as being “more vocal and just having the understanding that he is the guy and this is his team.”
Mooney pointed out that guys have gravitated towards Fields.
“We were just outside after practice throwing routes, and you have guys see him [and] walk over,” Mooney said. “You can’t just walk off the field. You’re like, ‘I’ve got to get more reps with him.'”
When the Bears weren’t at Halas Hall this offseason, Fields was organizing workouts in Atlanta with teammates, including Mooney and tight end Cole Kmet, to help get on the same page heading into the season.
“I think that’s a big deal,” Kmet said. “That’s the throw we end on every time we’re in those workouts, routes versus air-type stuff. It was really cool to hit that in a practice setting. Obviously, we will want to progress and keep going with that.”
While the offense isn’t there yet, they’ve made strides since the spring. Fields has been a huge part of that, and it’s something to keep an eye on heading into the 2022 season.
