Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields became a star in the NFL during his sophomore season, breaking rushing records nearly every week, but as a passer, his struggles were a big part of the team only being able to amass three wins. It is hard to judge any quarterback’s performance on an offense with few weapons and poor offensive line play, especially in just their second season, and under their second offensive coordinator in two years.
However, Fields surpassed many’s wildest expectations with his athleticism and proved that he has what it takes to lead a new-look Chicago Bears offense as they look to add more talent around him.
How did Justin Fields stack up across the league as a passer in 2022?
As a passer, Justin Fields certainly left a lot to be desired from a statistical perspective. Fields finished the season tied for 26th in the NFL for passing yards, matching Lamar Jackson, who put up the same number of yards in three fewer games.
Fields finished 31st in the league in completion percentage amongst quarterbacks with seven or more starts in 2022 and finished tied for 16th in passing touchdowns alongside Davis Mills and Lamar Jackson. Fields also ended the year tied for the 10th most interceptions in the league, alongside Russel Wilson, Mac Jones, and Geno Smith.
These numbers are not necessarily surprising when considering the fact that Fields had a lot less talent to work with as a passer compared to a lot of quarterbacks he had similar numbers with. For example, Fields had the same number of passing touchdowns as Lamar Jackson, who not only has an elite offensive line but also has a top-three tight end in Mark Andrews, who is not only great in the middle of the field but especially dangerous in the red zone.
On the bright side, Fields finished the season as the 10th-highest quarterback in terms of passing yards per completion and tied for 15th in pass yards per attempt with Kirk Cousins and Jacoby Brissett. So when the Bears do pass, which is considerably less than other teams, he is able to move the ball down the field fairly efficiently.