Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields is expected to begin the 2021 season as the No. 2 quarterback behind veteran Andy Dalton. And while fans are hopeful Fields will unseat Dalton in time for Week 1, it’s probably for the best that he sits for a few games before taking charge of the team.
It’s easy to get caught up in the hope and awe that a rookie first-round quarterback offers, but Fields’ early learning curve at Bears training camp is a reminder that, as he put it, greatness takes time.
For example, he’s just now getting the hang of calling plays in a huddle.
“I would say the hardest thing is just literally saying the play in the huddle,” Fields said. “In college, we got the play from the sidelines and we would get signals. So some of our play calls are longer than others. That’s why at night, the night before practice, we get our scripts and I just go through all our calls and really just try to say it to myself. That way when I actually do get in the huddle at practice, I’m able to spit it out quick.”
According to coach Matt Nagy, Fields is a quick study.
“I think he really has the huddle part down in regards to calling the plays,” Nagy said. “He sees the play when he calls it, he doesn’t just read the play now. He’s past that. So you can check that one off. He’s got to continue to do that.”
This is promising news for Fields and the Bears. The rookie began flashing his playmaking ability during practice on Monday, a trend that should continue as preseason games begin kicking off.
