There are some things in life that we simply cannot forget no matter how much time has passed since. Such is the case for Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields, who, amid his rise as one of the most highly-touted prospects in recent memory, having been selected 11th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, still has fond feelings for the team he adored growing up – the Atlanta Falcons.

Born and raised in the Kennesaw suburb in Atlanta, Fields revealed, per Nicholas Moreano, that he still harbors an emotional connection to his hometown franchise ahead of the Bears' Sunday night clash against the Falcons.

“Justin Fields said he was a Falcons fan growing up. He mentioned that his dad had season tickets, and when he was growing up, Julio Jones was one of his favorite players,” Moreano wrote.

Despite Fields' ties to the Falcons franchise, Atlanta notably passed on selecting him with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft in favor of tight end Kyle Pitts, who had, by and large, a successful rookie year after he was named a Pro Bowler. Perhaps Matt Ryan's presence at the time deterred the Falcons from drafting someone who could, someday, take the mantle as the franchise's QB1.

Nevertheless, it hasn't been smooth sailing for Justin Fields to begin his career. Through 20 career starts, Fields has only led his team to victory five times across two seasons, and by some metrics, the Bears' passing offense ranks as one of the worst in the league. Still, Fields is a young quarterback and he still has a lot of time left to figure things out in his young career.

The Falcons will enter their match against the Bears motivated to nab the win, especially when they are only trailing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by one game for the NFC South division lead. Will Fields let off the gas pedal to help his beloved Falcons (of course not, he's a professional) or will he be even more motivated to show what the Falcons are missing out on after they refused to pick the hometown kid?