Five Matchups to Watch: 3 Justin Fields V. Trey Lance
In 2021 both the Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers used an early first-round selection on who they thought could they be their quarterback of the future. In week one at Soldier Field, we will see these two Sophmore Quarterbacks look to lead their respective teams to a win and of course look to make that highly anticipated second-year leap.
Trey Lance:
Despite being the third overall selection by the 49ers, Lance came in and truly played that mentorship role behind veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Lance ultimately did start 2 games down the stretch when Garoppolo was injured. Lance went 1-1 over those two starts. Throughout the season Lance finished completing 57.7% of his passes,603 yards passing, 5 TDs, and 2 INTs. Unlike the other QBs in Lance's class, his snap count was certainly limited and we should monitor him closely over the next few seasons for his potential as an NFL quarterback. Out of all quarterbacks in the 2021 class, Lance certainly has the best supporting class with a strong offensive line, a receiving core that consists of Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle, and additionally a very strong run game.
Justin Fields:Fields' was the fourth quarterback selected in the notorious 2021 quarterback class. Heading into his rookie season the Bears stuck with the narrative that Fields would not be starting. Injuries to Andy Dalton and the pressure to win caused that to change quickly. His rookie year certainly did not go as I'm sure Fields hopes. Fields' started in 10 games going 2-8 as a starter. I'm his rookie campaign he completed 58.9% of his passes and threw for 1,870 yards along with 7 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Fields had a league-worst offensive line causing him to be sacked 36 times in his 10 starts. Despite an underwhelming stat line Fields has shown flashes in his rookie campaign of why he belongs in this league and why Bears fans should trust in him. Fields has a strong frame, elite speed, throws an accurate ball, and could arguably be the best downfield passer in this class. Fields rookie year truly was a bad situation for the former Buckeye and this year should be where we see him blossom and show his potential as the Bears franchise quarterback. Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus have assembled as an offensive staff to build an offense for Justin Fields' strengths, and despite criticism on the outside, they have revamped the offensive lane that should be chemistry and improve every week for the sophomore quarterback.
