The Bears have seemingly found their franchise quarterback in Justin Fields, and the hope is Fields will help lead Chicago to its first Super Bowl appearance since 2007.
When looking at the two quarterbacks going head-to-head in Super Bowl LVII — Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts — there’s every reason to believe that Fields will find himself in a similar situation one day.
Fields emerged as one of the NFL’s most electric players this season, and that was with an underwhelming roster. He made defenses pay with his elite speed and athleticism, and while there’s improvement to be made in the passing game, Fields has shown he can be a productive passer. Just two years in, Fields looks like a legitimate playmaker.
Former Bears head coach Matt Nagy, making his first Super Bowl appearance as the Chiefs quarterbacks coach, believes Fields will “without a doubt” lead his team to a Super Bowl one day.
“You all saw it this year, what he can do,” Nagy said, via NBC Sports Chicago. “He’s going to continue to keep growing. However, you want to say it, whatever part of his game. To do what he did from his rookie year to this past year, it’s only going to get better from here. He’s wired the right way. I got to see him firsthand – how he studies, how he practices, his passion for the game. He hates to lose. He’s always been that way.”
All eyes will be on general manager Ryan Poles this offseason as he looks to build around Fields. There are deficiencies along the offensive line and wide receiver — heck, most of the roster. Luckily, Poles has a ton of resources to build this team up, including roughly $99 million in salary cap space and the No. 1 overall pick.
While it’s unlikely Poles can fix everything in one offseason, the expectation should be for the Bears to contend for a playoff berth in 2023. And Fields should be the main reason for Chicago to be competing at a high level next season.
