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Entering his third year, the Chicago Bears are anticipating that quarterback Justin Fields will finally have the breakout season they've been waiting for since selecting him 11th overall back in the 2021 NFL Draft. Though he hasn't proven to be the type of arm talent the franchise may have been hoping for when coming out of Ohio State, he has shown flashes of being truly an electric asset for the club in the ground game. This was particularly so last season when he rushed for 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns on 7.1 yards per attempt.
While such an attribute is undoubtedly a luxury for fantasy managers to have, when it comes to reality, one league source believes it could be a detriment for Justin Fields himself, as they bluntly stated: “He won’t last.”
“Plain and simple. It’ll become a game of Russian roulette,” the league source said, as per Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune.
Last season alone, Fields registered a whopping 160 rushing attempts, ranking him 35th in the league in such a category. Though many of these plays wound up proving to be quite successful, even Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy suggested that, at least for the long term, this is not a recipe for success.
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“Most of that is a natural thing once you’re in the moment,” Getsy said. “But the decision-making, we’re working on every single day. The timing and rhythm we’re working on every single day. And lastly, (it’s understanding) the situation you’re in.
“Putting that all together, you’re just increasing your football IQ so you know better when to take those opportunities and when not to because there are plenty of times on film when he shouldn’t (scramble), and even though it worked out for us, in the long run, there’s a better decision. There’s a better way.”
Though the argument has been made that the lacking receiving options surrounding Justin Fields throughout his short tenure in the Windy City has aided in his high-octane ground game, with the recent acquisitions of star receiver D.J. Moore, the hope is that he'll have an easier time finding open options downfield, which should lessen his injury risks by minimizing his rushing opportunities.
