The straightforward guidance given to Justin Fields by the Bears could hold the key to understanding the quarterback's future.
Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus, along with Luke Getsy, has refrained from setting specific benchmarks for quarterback Justin Fields since their tenure began last year. Instead, they've emphasized the importance of daily, incremental progress that would ultimately enable Fields to transition from a promising talent to a game-changing force on the field.
While the Bears have continued to stress the significance of these small steps, they also provided Fields with a specific directive as he prepared to return from a thumb injury that had sidelined him for four games.
Fields shared the directive, saying, "He gave me a thing that said, �200,' which is two touchdowns, no sacks, no turnovers. That's pretty much my goal every game. Sacks, they put us behind the sticks, of course, and you never want to turn the ball over to give the other team a short field. So definitely trying to avoid the turnovers and sacks."
In the five games since his return from injury, Fields has demonstrated efficiency, leading the Bears to a 3-2 record during that period. Only two late-game setbacks prevented them from being 5-0. Fields did not throw any interceptions in his first three games back, and the two he threw in Cleveland, both on Hail Mary attempts, are not viewed negatively. His sack percentage has also significantly decreased since his return. In the six starts prior to his injury, Fields had only two games with a sack percentage below 10 percent. Since his return, it has been below nine percent in all five starts.
According to Pro Football Focus, Fields' pressure-to-sack percentage in the first six weeks of the season was 20.0 percent, which has dropped to 16.0 percent since his return.
Head coach Eberflus commented on Fields, saying, "With him, it's just about being consistent, about the good things he has done. What has he done the last five or six games is, the sack total has been cut in half. That's been really good. Interceptions are down. He has one. If you take out the two end-of-half, end-of-game interceptions that he had in Cleveland. So that's really good, too. And then him being able to evade the rush and look down the field to create some momentum plays going forward. His rhythm and timing is improving, too. So those are the tangible numbers we can look at. Just more consistency that way."
While Fields has made strides in these areas since his return, he has not yet achieved a "200" in the last five games.
The "200" directive for Fields reflects Eberflus' vision for his quarterback rather than a reflection of Fields' abilities or potential trajectory. Given the strong performance of the Bears' defense, it's in line with Eberflus' defensive mindset to have the young quarterback focus on avoiding negative plays and managing the game until the team requires him to take charge.
Quarterbacks can generally be categorized into three tiers: those you win because of, those you win with, and those you win despite.
Fields currently falls into the middle tier, often referred to as game-managers, recognizing that only a few quarterbacks belong to the top tier. While Fields may eventually ascend to the top level, whether with the Bears or elsewhere, for now, the Bears view him as a quarterback they can win with.
Fields, however, remains focused on daily improvements and the upcoming game against the Atlanta Falcons rather than the debate about his future.
"I've got too much to focus on today to worry about tomorrow," Fields said. "I've got to worry about this new game plan I've got, the play calls, and like I always say, we don't know if we're going to get it tomorrow. So there's no point in stressing about tomorrow if we don't know it's going to be here yet."
Fields' future may hold various possibilities, including becoming a quarterback a team wins because of or ascending elsewhere. As the Bears face significant decisions in the offseason, the "200" directive will be an essential factor to consider.
If Eberflus and his staff believe that consistent execution of this directive is sufficient for winning with the roster they are building, there may be no need to move on from Fields. He has the capability to meet these requirements and has the potential to advance from the middle tier to the top level if certain milestones are met.
However, if the directive is based on what they believe Fields can achieve and they require a quarterback with higher star potential as a passer, then the decision becomes straightforward.
In any case, Fields is committed to continuous improvement and hard work, regardless of where he finds himself in 2024.
"Like I've always said, I can always improve in areas. I'm not perfect at anything," Fields said. "To be honest, I have a lot of work to do. That work's gonna be put in. It's gonna be done."
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