Justin Fields Speaks: “I’m Built For This,” Tailoring the Play Book, Waiting to be the Starter, More

Bears rookie minicamp is here! And at the top, we get our first look at Justin Fields wearing Bears things:

Don’t get me wrong. I’ve been digging the photoshop jobs folks have been creating with Fields rocking Bears fits. But it hits differently to see him in official Bears gear.

In any case, I’ve collected some of the highlights from Fields’ minicamp press conference. And, I’ve thrown in some commentary of my own. You can check it out in its entirety below. In the meantime, check out some excerpts.

“I’m Built For This”

Some rookies arrive to their new teams with this “aww shucks” attitude and a happy-go-lucky “I’m just happy to be here!” vibe. And then there’s Justin Fields:

Fields being asked about being under the spotlight, something he has been familiar with since growing up as a prep star and responding with “I’m built for this” is everything this Bears fan wanted to hear. And I imagine I’m not alone in sharing this sentiment. That was legitimately my favorite part in a press conference that had me nodding my head and smiling at several different points. So much of a quarterback’s success starts with what’s between the ears. It’s the combination of smarts, swagger, and ability to carry yourself that can go a long way. Fields certainly has all of the above as he arrives at Soldier Field. And he runs a 40-yard-dash in 4.4 seconds. Plus he can throw a football over them mountains.

A New Playbook

I found is interesting, even if it comes with layers:

Part of my brain goes to a place where I want to to discuss the transition from college to the pros. And specifically, what it’s like to go from relaying signals on the sidelines to sharing play calls from a headset and translating them in the huddle. But a bigger takeaway for me is Fields’ feeling that the Ohio State playbook and the Bears playbook are similar. I don’t want to read too much into this, but I think one thing that hurt the Bears offense last year was that it felt as if they ran two different offenses. One was more tailored to Mitchell Trubisky’s strengths, while the other was highlighting more of what Nick Foles could do.

Moving forward, the Bears would be smart to build their offense around Fields’ strengths and make tweaks for Andy Dalton (or Foles, if necessary), rather than the other way around. Fields is the future. Let’s treat the playbook as if we’re acknowledging that fact.

The Waiting Game

Fields is used to playing at a high level and winning. What he isn’t accustomed to is sitting and waiting. That makes the opening of his rookie campaign so intriguing. There is a plan in place right now for Andy Dalton to start as QB1, with Fields waiting in the wings. It’s a plan that many will liken to what the Chiefs did in 2017 with Patrick Mahomes backing up Alex Smith.

Yet, I’d bet on Fields doing what he can to push the envelope. Even if he has to wait his turn:

“I think everybody on our team should be striving for a starting job. If you’re not, there’s no reason for you to be here. Of course I’m gong to do everything I can to get that starting job. It’s not up to me. Coach Nagy has a set plan for my development and stuff like that. But I’m just gonna work hard, keep my head down, and keep grinding every day.”

For the record, I love that Nagy has looped Fields in on his development plan. But I think I’d love it more if Fields forces a tough decision by the time September rolls around.

Odds and Ends…

⇒   Ain’t this the truth:

⇒   Real ones know the learning power that flash cards possess:

⇒   Gotta love the shout outs and referring to Bears backers as “our fans” already:

🧡💙🐻⬇️

 

written by

Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.

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