NEWSLETTER
Saturday’s Week 16 loss to the Bills was one of the least impressive games of the season for Justin Fields — at least from a wow factor standpoint. But that didn’t stop Bills quarterback Josh Allen from laying it on thick with his praise of Justin Fields.
On ESPN’s ‘Kyle Brandt’s Basement,‘ the Bills Pro Bowler called Fields “a special talent” and said that the Bears sophomore quarterback can “spin the rock.”
“He can spin the rock. Obviously, you see what he can do in the open field running-wise. He seems like a really good kid.”
Fields’ size and athleticism has often had fans and pundits comparing him to Josh Allen, among other quarterbacks, but Allen says that Fields is special in his own right.
“I think everybody’s their own guy. I don’t think he’s gonna be the next me,” Allen said of Fields. “I think he’s gonna be the next him.”
Allen is just the latest opponent to praise Fields growth in his second year in the NFL, joining Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and Eagles cornerback Darius Slay who gushed about Fields after the Eagles came to town in Week 16.
Allen wasn’t the only one praising Fields this week, though. Former NFL player Darius Butler said Fields “will go down as the best QB in Chicago Bears history” on Thursday’s episode of ‘The Pat McAfee Show.’
I have to say, while it’s excellent hearing other players praise Fields week in and week out, it’s been really neat watching Fields change the narrative about him in his sophomore year. Fields came into the season as a question mark, and admittedly, the first quarter of the season didn’t do much to change that, but Fields has been on a straight upward trajectory since then.
Since the Monday Night Football game in New England following the disastrous TNF loss to the Washington Commanders, Fields has completed 122-of-182 passes for 1,298 yards, 12 touchdowns, and five interceptions while rushing for 729 yards and 7 touchdowns.
Fields’ weak performance on the ground might have put Lamar Jackson’s single-season quarterback rushing record out of reach. But … still. He’s rushed for 1,011 yards and eight touchdowns this season and has made significant strides as a passer in the last month or so.
The praise from opponents is fun to hear. And, it’s simply a confirmation of what we’ve seen from Fields in recent months — a shift from a raw prospect to the legitimate quarterback of the future. The Bears can head into the offseason comfortable about building around long term, something we’ve rarely experienced here in Chicago.
