There isn’t much newsy stuff that comes from the start of the offseason training program. However, I found the latest on Justin Fields from The MMQB’s Albert Breer to be both interesting *AND* important (bold emphasis mine):
“Justin Fields was present for the first day of the Bears’ offseason program, and he’s back much healthier than he was at the end of the season. Fields spent time with his teammates during the three-month break, but rested and rehabbed physically after the toll last year took on his bodyโ160 carries will leave a mark.”
What a wonderful bit of news. It brought a smile to my face to read that Justin Fields is in good health going into this portion of the offseason program. Think about the pummeling his body took last year. Not just in the sacks and quarterback hits, but also with the times he was tackled in the open field. That 160 carries number makes me think of all the times he was tackled in the open field. And let’s not forget about the late hits that drew our ire because they weren’t getting penalized. Fields took a bunch of body blows and ended the year sidelined due to injury. Hence, I’m not taking news that he is in good health for granted.
All of this has me thinking about when I last watched Justin Fields play, week 15 against the Eagles. That game will be fresh in my memory for a while.
Fields completed 67% of his passes, threw two touchdowns (and no interceptions), and had a 119.5 passer rating. For good measure, Fields added 15 rushes and 95 yards. But what I remember most about that game was The Girlfriend gushing over Fields โ while also yelling at the television for someone to block for him before he gets blown into smithereens. It was an astute observation from m’lady. If you’ll recall, Fields took six sacks and six quarterback hits that game. Plus, he left (briefly) with an injury late in the game. He came back and threw a TD, but he really took a beating. There were too many of those types of games for Fields in 2022. And they clearly piled up.
Ultimately, those hits took a toll on Fields who was held out of Week 18’s game against the Vikings due to an injury aggravated the previous week against the Lions. So, again, it is good news to hear a healthy Fields is back at work.
There is a bunch of good stuff from Breer. Including a nugget about Fields’ throwing motion and what it could take for him to take the next step as a passer. We’ve got plenty of time to chew on that stuff. And Fields has ample opportunity to smooth things out. But for now, the health stuff is providing a strong base to work from as we build up toward the start of the regular season.