With the recent news of Justin Fields being named the starting quarterback, it’s important to refresh ourselves on exactly what Justin Fields brings to the table.
Every year in the national football league, there are stories about underdogs — players who beat the odds and proved everyone wrong. From Tom Brady falling to pick 199 or George Kittle receiving Iowa’s final scholarship spot on signing day, there are plenty of players who have managed to make it to the NFL — even when they were counted out. Justin Fields is not one of those players, and although his path to the NFL hasn’t been an easy one, it’s one that people have been talking about for a long time.
A look at Chicago Bears quarterback, Justin Fields and his path to the NFL
Justin Fields was a high school phenom
In the day and age of social media and viral videos, we see young athletes gain large followings while they are still in high school. Fields quickly became one of the most talked-about players in the country, starring at Harrison High School in both football and baseball.
Fields’ rare combination of athleticism and arm talent made him gain national recognition from fans as well as college coaches. He also went on to win the Elite-11 quarterback camp MVP over a stacked class of the best high school quarterbacks in the country that included future number one overall pick, Trevor Lawrence. Fields’ talent was evident to everyone and was given one of the highest recruiting grades ever according to 24/7 sports with a composite grade of 0.9998.
Justin Fields found his home in Columbus
After splitting reps with Jake Fromm during his freshman season, Justin Fields made the decision to transfer to Ohio State. Any questions about if Fields could be an every-down college quarterback were quickly answered with an emphatic yes. The Buckeyes went 20-2 in Fields’ time as a starter and made two appearances in the college football playoffs. Individually, Fields also shined, putting up 78 touchdowns and only nine interceptions in his Buckeye career.
Justin Fields fell down draft boards leading up to the draft
After entering the season as the consensus number two prospect behind Lawrence, Fields started to slip down draft boards as draft night approached. The emergence of BYU star Zach Wilson played a role in Fields’ fall, but it also seemed like some scouts and analysts were just not very confident in Fields as a prospect. Fields ultimately fell out of the top 10, and the Chicago Bears traded up with the New York Giants to get him at pick 11.
This leads us to the present-day, where Justin Fields is getting ready for his first start in the NFL. Here is why his skill set could be perfect for the Bears and the modern NFL.