Bears quarterback Justin Fields’ rookie season was anything but ideal. He had a fair share of ups and downs — some on him, others on those in charge of his development.
While Fields struggled with things like a quick release and protecting the football, he was done a greater disservice at the hands of the former regime — Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace. It’s the reason why both Nagy and Pace are no longer employed.
Fields was asked directly about whether he believes he was put in the best position to succeed as a rookie. And his response is exactly what you’d expect from the young leader.
“I don’t know,” Fields told reporters Tuesday. “But at the end of the day that doesn’t matter. You have to handle what you’ve got and try to make the best out of it.”
Justin Fields on if he was put in the best position to succeed last season:
"I don't know. But at the end of the day that doesn't matter. You have to handle what you've got and try to make the best out of it."
— Alex Shapiro (@AlexShapiroNBCS) April 19, 2022
While Fields tried to downplay the brutal reality, everyone could see Fields wasn’t exactly in the best situation as a rookie. It was evident before the start of the season when Nagy refused to give Fields an opportunity to compete for the starting job, thus taking away valuable reps with starters.
And it was even more clear in his first start in Week 3, when Nagy developed a horrid, detrimental game plan that got Fields sacked nine times. Despite Fields flashing his amazing potential, it was clear that Nagy wasn’t the guy to put him in a position to succeed, which resulted in his firing. And while Pace was the one who traded up for Fields, his poor track record resulted in his firing, as well.
Now, Fields is heading into his first offseason where he knows he’s the starting quarterback. He’s learning a new offense under offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, as well as getting to know some new teammates, including wide receivers Byron Pringle and Equanimeous St. Brown.
Despite an underwhelming offseason, there’s still a belief that Fields will be put in a better position to succeed in Year 2.
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