The best is yet to come for Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields, who is gearing up for his third season in the pros. Fields' first two years in the NFL were full of challenges from both an individual and team perspective for the former Ohio State Buckeyes QB.
But a longer exposure to the system installed in the team by head coach Matt Eberflus and a roster that's being built closer to the liking of general manager Ryan Poles are reasons to believe that a breakout season is about to happen for Chicago's dual-threat signal-caller, according to former scout Greg Gabriel.
“While this is only Fields' second year in the scheme, it is still his third year in the League, and he also has a new Pro Bowl-level receiver in D.J. Moore,” Gabriel said in a recent piece for Windy City Gridiron. “Please, don't tell me Moore isn't as good as Diggs. When the trades were made, both players had spent five years in the League, and their stats were almost identical. Moore will be every bit as important to Chicago's offense as Diggs is to Buffalo's.”
After a 3-14-0 season in the 2021 NFL season — Justin Fields' first in the league — the Bears took a step back in 2022 when they finished with just a 3-14-0 record. However, the Bears do seem to be in a better position to compete. Chicago has been shoring up its roster on both ends of the field in the offseason, even trading the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to the Carolina Panthers for multiple draft picks and wide receiver DJ Moore, whose impact on the Bears' offense should be felt by Justin Fields and the rest of the team right away — if they haven't already this offseason.
Back in the 2022 campaign, the Bears' attack was relatively putrid. Chicago relied so much on what Justin Fields can do with his legs. The team averaged just 19.2 points per game and generated only 307.8 total yards per week, 23rd and 28th overall, respectively. The Bears were also No. 1 in rushing play percentage and in rushing yards per outing.
With Moore coming over to Chicago as well as right guard Nate Davis, tight end Robert Tonyan, and running back D'Onta Foreman, the Bears look better equipped offensively. That's good new for Justin Fields, who passed for just 2,242 yards with 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions on 60.4 percent completion rate in 2022, while also adding 1,143 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns on 160 carries.