It wasn’t totally lost in the noise of NFL Draft Weekend, but we didn’t dive into long-time Bears reporter Hub Arkush hinting at people within the organization not believing in Justin Fields as this franchise’s future QB1.
Let’s revisit this thread from Matt Eurich, which summarizes things for those of us who need a refresher:
It’s not just that Hub was hearing that not everyone was sold on Fields. Internal dissent isn’t anything new. But the real kicker here was that Arkush name-dropped tight end Cole Kmet as a player who has uncertainty surrounding Fields’ future because he “wouldn’t or couldn’t” get him the ball. All things considered, this seemed pretty sketch from the get-go. Especially since Fields put up a 109.9 passer rating, averaged 8.0 yards/attempt, and threw twice as many touchdowns (6) than interceptions (3) when targeting Kmet last season. Nevertheless, that tweet thread has stuck with me for some time.
And now, I’m ready to bury it after Kmet said some glowing things about playing with Fields to Kane County Cougars broadcaster Joe Brand in a recent visit:
This exchange grabbed my full attention:
Brand: “What’s one of the funner things about playing with Justin Fields?”
Kmet: “He’s just electric, man. Obviously, for what he can do with his arm and in the run game is unbelievable. So, you’ve always got to be on your toes and stay alive. But he’s an electric player to play with.
Brand: “You guys think you can be like a Brady-Gronk kind of match?”
Kmet: “That’s always what we’re shooting for, that’s for sure.”
I love the optimism. And the vibes. Plus the hope that the Bears could create a dynamic QB-TE tandem is fun to dream about on a Friday in May.
For what it’s worth, Kmet should feel awfully optimistic about what is ahead. Kmet and Fields were really finding a rhythm during the heart of the team’s offensive hot streak. That TD binge was fun to watch from Kmet as he was coming into his own as a third-year player. This Kmet catch from a Fields dot was absolutely insane. It was all part of a full-blown breakout that was going down last autumn. One that we were hoping we’d see when things were looking juicy during the preseason. And one we hope continues to build this summer and into the start of the regular season.
Now, about those extension talks and what a new deal could look like for TE1 before he hits free agency after this season…