One of the most frustrating aspects of Bears quarterback Justin Fields’ rookie year happened before he even stepped out onto the field during the regular season.
Former head coach Matt Nagy had already promised Andy Dalton the starting job, and he refused to allow Fields an opportunity to win it. To make matters worse, Fields didn’t get to work with the first-team offense during OTAs, training camp or preseason. That led to some chemistry issues when Fields etook over as starter early in the season.
While Fields couldn’t get reps with the starters last offseason, the exact opposite has been true. In fact, he’s getting pretty much every single rep since drills started in May, according to Bears insiders Adam Hoge and Adam Jahns, working with the 1’s, 2’s, 3’s and 4’s.
“I feel like they don’t let the other ones throw,” Hoge said on the Hoge and Jahns podcast. “Justin, you get every rep.”
Justin Fields is getting all of the first, second, and third team reps.
The backups are lucky to get one rep.
Heard this on the latest Hoge and Jahns podcast.
— Dave (@runbackdave) June 10, 2022
The Bears have added a number of new faces this offseason, including receivers Byron Pringle, rookie Velus Jones Jr. and Equanimeous St. Brown, as well as tight ends Ryan Griffin and James O’Shaughnessy.
The coaches are making sure Fields sees reps with not only the starters but with the backup supporting cast.
“He’s playing with every single receiver and every single tight end and running back,” said Jahns.
It’s nice that the new regime recognizes that the backups — Trevor Siemian and Nathan Peterman — aren’t as important as their young, hopeful franchise QB in Fields.
